


Only Love Survives

by NympheSama



Series: Summer Of Endless Love [3]
Category: Endless Summer (Visual Novel)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Anal Sex, Angst, Danger, Drama, Emotional, F/M, Fluff, Gay Sex, Heartache, M/M, Major Spoilers, Miscommunication, Mystery, Oral Sex, Romance, Sex, Spoilers, Suspense, Swearing, oh the feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 19:27:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 345,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15150194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NympheSama/pseuds/NympheSama
Summary: M!Taylor's time is running short. The race to find his friends before Rourke has begun, and time is now nobody's friend...With the final mystery of his past so close at hand, will Taylor manage to save those he loves most? Or will they save him?





	1. Time Escapes Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hola!!!!
> 
> I should really be at work already but i was deternined to get this little monster posted and get the ball rolling. I wasnt able to write yesterday so ive gone at it full force this morning... i hope its okay!
> 
> I adore you all and hope you enjoy the start of the end (but dont worry because its gonna be longer than i first thought...)
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I think for awhile there... I gave up on everything. Miracles. Hope. Faith. None of it meant anything. I just... I hates everything. Rourke. Lundgren. The Endless. ...Myself._

_And then it was all going to be over... And I think part of me was pleased about that, in a way... But, never fear, for when a Boy Scout's in trouble; his Top Gun shall appear. Heh, you can't hear me, but I'm laughing... I hope you are too, because I like when you laugh. I know you had few reasons to, for a long time... But soon, all that will change. I promise._

**1.**

**Time Escapes Me**.

Taylor found himself lost in light, his surroundings no more than a blinding haze of white. A voice, resonant and strangely familiar, whispered to him through the emptiness. " _ **You're beginning to understand, aren't you.**_.?" The voice seemed almost to sparkle, flitting in and out of audibility. " _ **Who you truly are..."**_

 _I know who I am._  Taylor thought firmly, resisting the teasing lilt to the voice, telling himself he was his own person, not some pawn of fate or result of a manipulative tome traveller. _I am not your toy._   _I am myself; and I will remain so..._

 _" **The more you experience, the more defined you become**_..." The voice continued, almost seeming to goad him slyly. Taylor squinted against the unbearable brightness, as the voice seemed to laugh lightly, fading into the infinite void.  _" **We will meet again soon, Taylor. It is almost time."**_ The voice whispered, as the bright light around him seemed to throb and intensify. " ** _All that was, is, and shall be; depends on your choices_**..." The voice whispered faintly, as Taylor was overcome with light.

"Urgh..." Taylor groaned, cradling his head in his hands as it swam with residual pain. He took a deep breath, and released a shaky sigh, as he frowned at the floor, certain he'd just forgotten something important. He raised his head slowly and looked around the tunnel, deep beneath Mount Atropo.

Yvonne was aghast, staring at The Endless in shock, but quickly adapting. Uqzhaal, however, was clearly lost to the overwhelming sting of betrayal.  _And this is how you alienate those you care for._.. He thought sadly, understanding that no words from himself would ever repair the friendship he'd once had with the Vaanti shaman.

Taylor sighed as he looked back at The Endless reluctantly, his heart stopping in his chest, as he once again felt the awkward sensation of looking into a mirror, one which twisted his reflection to that of a much older version of himself. The Endless, stared back at Taylor fondly, clearly amused by his dramatic reaction to the removal of their helmet

"What sort of  _devilry_  is this?!" Yvonne demanded, her hand dipping to ChouChou's hilt, as she stared at The Endless in disbelief and fearful confusion.

"There aren't words for how bad I wanna punch you in your smug face right now..." Taylor sighed, shaking his head in dejection as he pushed away from the wall and scratched at the back of his neck, his stomach churning queasily. "But, that would just be awkward on so many levels. One because you're old, and that would make me a dick..." He said, raising his free hand as he curled his lip and raised a brow in consideration. "And of course there's reason two, because... You're..." He broke off, gesturing vaguely towards The Endless, unable to bring himself to say the words aloud.

"I'm  _you."_  The Endless chuckled, beaming a wide grin at him, as Taylor scowled back in response. "Yes."

"Urgh, why'd you have to say it aloud?" Taylor groaned, covering his face with his hands as his stomach lurched, threatening to spill whatever remaining contents it had. "Urgh, I have this sudden urge to get really,  _really_  drunk..." He sighed, suddenly understanding Jake's urge to drink whenever he was too overwhelmed.

"Don't worry, the suit will prevent a paradox from being caused by our proximity to one another." The Endless assured, and Taylor blinked over at him blankly.

"Uh, yeah... That's... Totally what I was worried about..." He said haltingly, clearing his throat as he looked away.

"You lied to us." Uqzhaal said brokenly, his eyes filled with betrayal. A slow flame of fury began to flare in his gaze, as his wizened face hardened to a hateful snarl. "Lied to the Vaanti... for generations!"

"I did not lie." The Endless replied simply, looking down at Uqzhaal calmly. "The Twelve are integral to preserving Vaanu." He explained, as Taylor flinched at a stab of pain in his brow.

"You used my people as mere pawns, fodder..." The shaman snarled, ignorant of The Endless's words, as his fury blazed to an inferno. "Caring only about your so called Catalysts!"

"You needed something to believe in, didn't you?" The Endless reasoned, cocking his head curiously, as he calmly met Uqzhaal's narrowing crimson eyes. The shaman's jaw flexed, giving his face an even more skeletal appearance, as he fell silent; glaring at The Endless in hate and disgust. "I know this must all seem very strange..." The Endless said suddenly, turning serious as he looked back at Taylor, who snorted at the enormous understatement. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me, Taylor?"

"You mean, other than 'why're you such an asshole'?" Taylor scoffed, scowling at The Endless, as they chuckled in amusement. Taylor sighed, attempting to sort through his chaotic thoughts, trying to dodge around the new memories in his head, from The Endless's long life on the island. "How are you able to manipulate time?" He asked suddenly, his eyes locking onto The Endless intently, as the older version of himself blinked in surprise.

"Most of the ability to walk the passage of time, comes from the suit..." The old man replied, hesitating briefly as he glanced away. "It is a skill I have nurtured over many years, through meditation and careful study... and a, uh, understanding with Vaanu..."

Taylor narrowed his eyes at The Endless, sensing the lie in the vague evasion, but choosing not to press the issue for the moment.  _Why cant this guy just answer a goddam question with a straight blood answer?! I'm not this annoying!_  He thought, balking suddenly at the worrisome thought.  _Am I.._? He wondered, biting his lip nervously. He shook his head, determined not to let the elderly man throw him aside so easily.

"How have you lived so long?" He asked distractedly, resolving to return to the issue of controlling time at another opportunity. At least I have somewhere to begin my own 'careful study'... He thought with a snort, as he imagined Jake's expression if he ever caught him meditating. His amusement died however, at the thought of his pilot. Potentially hurt, alone or worse; both.

"By evading the ravages of time, just as you have." The Endless replied, seeming far more comfortable with the question, though still annoyingly evasive.

"Based on looks," Yvonne scoffed, shaking her head as she set her hands on her hips, and eyed The Endless speculatively. "I'd have to say the ravages have been far kinder to Taylor..." She sniggered quietly.

"This suit allows me to prevent my body from aging further... But, it took many years to perfect." The Endless said with a dry chuckle, breaking into a wide grin. "With time comes wisdom... and wrinkles."

"Oh my god, you are  _so_  annoying." Taylor huffed, running a hand through his hair as he bit his lip, his gaze tortured by fear, as he met eyes identical to his own. "You said... the others are still alive?"

"They've eluded Rourke and his henchmen so far, but I doubt they can keep it up." The Endless said, the first serious and firm response he'd given. "We must act quickly."

"First he wanted us in stasis tanks, now he wants us all dead?" Taylor sighed, shaking his head in dejection, as he huffed bitterly. "Well, except me, of course..." He said, narrowing his eyes at The Endless in sudden suspicion. "Why do I get the feeling you'd know why that is..?"

"Rourke isn't much for loose ends." The Endless said with a dismissive shrug, though Taylor could see the dark tint of hatred, deep within his eyes. "Now that he's discovered an energy source capable of powering his device, he no longer needs me... or you."

"Then why the hell does he  _want_  me?" Taylor demanded, frustration bubbling in his gut, as The Endless evaded his previous question.

"He's a collector." The Endless shrugged. "Just because he can't use you, doesn't mean he isn't still fascinated. I imagine some part of him wants to study you, but mostly, I suspect he just wants to own you."

"Oh,  _joy!_  The insane scientist slash dictator wants to keep me in deep freeze as a goddamn trophy." Taylor snarked, scowling petulantly at The Endless, as if it were his fault that Rourke wanted to capture him.

The Endless sighed, ignoring Taylors outburst as the flame on his bionic arm flickered in obvious concern, as he turned to gaze down the tunnel blankly. "As for our friends... It's only a matter of time before Rourke's Arachnid mercenaries locate everyone."

"Okay, but how is any of this even  _possible?"_  Taylor demanded, shaking his head in frustration as The Endless looked over at him curiously. "What are you? What..." The words stuck in his throat, grief suffocating him as he forced them out. "What... am  _I_?" He asked sadly, his heart heavy at the mystery of his own mortality.

The Endless lowered their mechanical limb towards the floor of the tunnel. "My journey to self discovery was long, and difficult." He said slowly, his eyes sparking with the first true hint of regret Taylor could recall seeing in the aged version of himself. "Yours will happen  _much_  faster." He added, lowering his gaze briefly, before seeming to find some shred of determination, as he looked up at Taylor once again. "It's important, however, that you develop that understanding; _on your own_." Flames swirled from The Endless's metal fingertips, igniting a line of powder. Sparks travelled along the trails length, disappearing around a bend in the tunnel. "In the end," the old man said, smiling encouragingly at Taylor, while he scowled at the elderly version of himself distrustfully. "It's up to _you,_ to decide who you _truly_ are."

"Right.  _Gotcha."_  Taylor scoffed, rolling his eyes with a derisive snort. "Don't ask Taylor, because he won't give you a straight damn answer." He muttered, about to continue his grousing, when his eyes widened in shock; as a distant explosion echoed through the caverns.

"There. That should activate the crux. We'll-" The Endless's confident comment cut off abruptly, his own eyes mimicking Taylors wide gaze.

Taylor felt a slight tremor, so subtle, it almost seemed to be coming from his own heart; tight with anticipation, and dread. He raised his hand slowly, rubbing absently at his chest, as he stared at The Endless's confused expression. "What the hell did you just do..?" He whispered, fear nipping at his heart, as the strange sensation lingered.

"This is not as I'd expected." The Endless admitted, his face falling as he bit his lip nervously, exacerbating Taylors own rising panic. He was about to press the old man for more answers, when the tunnel pitched suddenly, sending them all sprawling to the ground.

"Ugh!" Taylor grunted, his shoulder slamming into the ground hard. He heard Uqzhaal wheeze in pain a short ways away, and he rolled to his side as the walls began to shake. "Uqzhaal..! Here..." He said, helping the shaman back to his feet carefully, his heart aching as the Vaanti refused to meet his eyes. "I'm so sorry..." He whispered, his eyes burning, as the shaman turned away without a word. Taylor took a deep breath, trying to centre himself, as a gust of wind, intensely hot, blasted through the area.

"The mountain is erupting!" Uqzhaal gasped, breaking his silence as shock and realisation consumed him.

"... Right _now?"_ Taylor choked, looking around in concern. He gasped suddenly, slamming his arms against the sides of his head, as over the din, an ear splitting roar resounded from somewhere deep below.

 **"AAaAaAAaHHhhH!"**  It seemed to cry, and Taylor felt his heart throb in response, hammering against his chest as if trying to reach out to the crier.

"By the black depths, what..?" Yvonne choked, gripping her cutlass handle tight, as she glanced around nervously.

"Now, I understand..." The Endless mused, his eyes wide as he cane to some realisation. "The core is missing, destabilizing the entire structure..." He said, looking over at Taylor urgently. "We need to leave, immediately."

"I  _really_  don't like you..." Taylor muttered, as the others rushed off ahead of him. He sighed, and raced after them, running headlong through the caves to the temple's entrance.

Outside, a plume of of fire and smoke, billowed from Mount Atropo's summit. Streams of shimmering lava, wound their way down the slopes. "Oh my god..." Taylor gasped, staring at the destructive force bearing down on them. "What the hell did you do..?"

"Too late..." Uqzhaal murmured, shaking his head sadly as he stared up at the volcano in defeat. "It's all too late... Raan'losti has come." He said, and though Taylor desperately wished to offer the elderly Vaanti comfort, he carefully held himself back from resting his hand upon the shaman's shoulder.

Yvonne suddenly twisted, moving in front of The Endless and blocking the spacesuit clad figures path. "Arrete, demon!" She growled, scowling at him as she laid her hand warningly on the hilt of her cutlass. "You said if I brought you Taylor, you'd give me the fountain."

"And as we've just heard, Yvonne; he's nothing but a liar, and overall asshole... Considering what he did to the Vaanti alone." Taylor huffed, folding his arms and pointedly averting his gaze, as The Endless frowned over at him.

"You are unusually hostile. I do not recall ever being so-" The Endless began, only for Taylor to quickly dismiss his comment with a wave of his hand.

"Just  _shut up,_  and tell the woman what she wants to damn well know." He snarked, as The Endless sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"The legendary Fountain of Youth..." The Endless hummed thoughtfully, turning to look back the way they'd fled through the tunnels. "It's inside the mountain, just as you and your fellow pirates believed... But, not in the form you expected. In any case, I wouldn't go back in there now..." He said, throwing a gesture towards the mountaintop, where geysers of lava rocketed into the night sky. "This is no  _ordinary_  eruption. The entire island is about to change... Just as it did when Rourke tampered with the crux."

"I  _knew_  that bastard did something!" Taylor cried, scowling at the volcano, before settling his ire onto The Endless. "You didn't know this would happen?! You saw everything else... but not this?" He demanded, half expecting the old man to evade his question once again.

"This is as new to me as it is to you..." The Endless replied, and for once Taylor was only able to sense honest surprise from the elderly man.

"Can't we just go back in time and stop it?!" Taylor asked urgently, eyeing the slowly moving lava with a growing sense of dread.

"These kind of eruptions cannot be reverted..." The Endless said, shaking his head as he bit his lip and glanced over, genuine fear in his gaze. "They shatter apart time itself."

"So, this is gonna make everything a whole lot worse, I take it..?" Taylor guessed, running a hand through his hair in nervous expectation.

"... During the last eruption, the Vaanti were pulled back hundreds of years..." Uqzhaal explained quietly, staring at the destructive lava hopelessly.

"And the world was turned into a primal hellscape..." Taylor breathed, looking at The Endless sharply. "Is this going to send everything further into the past?!" He demanded, dread coiling like a snake about to strike, deep within his gut.

"There's no way to know how far reaching the effect will be yet..." The Endless confessed dejectedly, shaking his head slowly.

"... So you're saying the fountain is lost?" Yvonne gasped, her breath catching as she gripped the hilt of her cutlass, her wide eyes locked pleadingly on The Endless.

"What you seek, can be found to the East." The Endless assured, pointing to the eastern side of the mountain. "There's another temple, on the coast. A place once known, as No'ox Naj. Your brother Patrice-"

A gout of lava crashed onto the nearby slopes, converging with a stream of molten rock, and rapidly flooding down towards them. "Oh god... I don't think we're gonna survive this..." Taylor murmured, eyeing the approaching lava with a growing sense of despondency. _How many times can you shake death in a single day, anyway?_  He wondered, shaking his head as his heart filled with resignation. _And really..? What the hell is the point anymore? I'm some sort of time manipulating freak, with a time travelling, alternate self; who is a manipulative asshole_... He thought, looking up at the stars, as they were slowly obscured by smoke.  _Guys wherever you are... I hope you're safe. Diego... Michelle, Varyyn and Raj_... He thought, watching the stars disappear before his eyes, as a curtain of smoke drew up before them. _Quinn... Zahra... Aleister and Grace... He thought, knowing at least two of them were safe, if almost certainly, not happy. Craig, Sean, Estela... J-_  He swallowed heavily, his heart aching with desire and loss combined _. Oh god, Jake... Wherever you are, be safe, and know that I lov-_  His thoughts broke off abruptly, as he shook his head and curled his hands into balls, frustration rising to bite at his melancholy.  _How can I say that though..? If situations were reversed, you'd have already kicked everyone's asses and you'd be fighting to find me... Wouldn't you?_  He thought fondly, a tiny tendril of energy wheedling it's way into his heart _. Well, if I ever intend to be able to say that to you again, I better take a leaf outta your book, right, Top Gun?_  He thought, grasping the weed of hope and tugging sharply, fanning it to a great and mighty tree; with thick branches and roots, suffusing him with hope and determination.

As Taylor finally got a hold of himself, and focused his mind, The Endless turned to face him. "Listen to me." He said urgently, his dark eyes meeting Taylors intently. "You're the miracle I've waited for... You're the only one who could keep everyone safe..." He said, his face twisting with grief and hope so profound, Taylor couldn't find it in him to keep up his skepticism of the manipulative old man. "I need you to recover the Islands Heart from Rourke. With it, we can preserve La Huerta and protect our friends... Do you understand?" He asked urgently, as Taylors mind swam with reluctant understanding.

"Well..." Taylor hedged, unwilling to admit to his understanding anything about The Endless.

"Taylor," The Endless demanded, unusually sharp for the old man in his sense of urgency. " _Do you understand?_!"

"Yes! But... That doesn't exactly mean I  _like_  it..!" He said with a frown, finding the phrase 'preserve La Huerta' to be specifically ominous.

"Good." The Endless sighed, relief playing across his wrinkled face. He flicked his hands in a gentle shooing motion towards Taylor, a smile curling his lips. "Stand back." He urged, as he donned his helmet again. Taylor did as he was bid, though he scowled rebelliously as he did it, watching as The Endless extended both arms towards the approaching inferno. "Go!" He ordered, his mechanical voice filled with urgency, as Taylor took another step back in shock. "Find everyone! Find..." The Endless gasped, as he the blazing lava began to consume him. "Find... The Islands Heart!" He called, before vanishing beneath the rising blaze.

"What the-?!" Taylor choked, shaking his head in disbelief.  _"Wait!_  You asshole, get back here!"

 _"Laisse tomber!"_  Yvonne gasped, reaching over and grabbing his hand. "We must go!" She said, dragging him away. Before Taylor could even process what was happening, he found himself running for the rainforest with Yvonne and Uqzhaal. Upon cresting a hill, they looked back, panting for breath as they looked down to find a sea of liquid fire, gathering at the base of the volcano.

"We should be safe up here." Uqzhaal assured, as he wheezed and wobbled unsteadily. Taylor looked over, wanting to offer the Vaanti aide, but sensing the shaman's growing aversion of him. Just as he was about to look away, several flashes of light caught his eye, high above them in the smoky sky.

"A storm..?" Yvonne asked, her brow creasing as she looked up at the sky.

"... Not a natural one." Uqzhaal said ominously, eyeing the floating orbs if energy, appearing high above them, exploding into wild arcs of lightning.

"It's happening again..." Taylor gasped, staring up with wide eyes, at the familiar sight. He recalled the flight in to the island, Jake's frantic piloting, as he sat with Quinn and comforted her. "Just like when we flew in!" He choked, flinching and ducking low, as several strokes shot through the foliage suddenly, causing it to ignite.

" _Zut alors!_ " Yvonne cried, jumping in shock as she whirled to see the flames begin crackling eagerly.

"... No longer safe!" Uqzhaal cried, hobbling away from the approaching flames. "We must move, quickly!" He said urgently, just as Taylor heard a crackle of splintering wood ring through the air. He turned, to see a huge tree trunk falling towards them.

"Uqzhaal!" He gasped, rushing forward as flickers appeared in the air around them. He grasped the strands of tine tightly, and pulled with all his might, slowing the trees progress and hurrying to help Uqzhaal forward, urging him out of the trees path. "You might hate me now, old man... But I'll never forget the friendship you once showed me." He said quietly, leaning close to the shaman's immobile ear. When the shaman was a safe distance away, he turned to see Yvonne, just at the other side of the tree.

Taylor raced back the way he'd come, but just as he made it back to the tree, his grip on time slipped. He gasped as time snapped back on track, and sprung out of the way, diving into the smoking brush just as the tree crashed down to the ground. A thick cloud of sparks and thick smoke, billowed outward and consumed them quickly, as Taylor rolled to his knees, coughing as his eyes watered from the thick smoke.

 _"Kff!"_  Yvonne coughed, trying to wave the smoke away from her face. "Got to keep... moving..!" She gasped, as Taylor struggled to hold himself up on his knees.

"Can't..." He choked, weakly trying to drag himself through the undergrowth, as the thick and cloying smoke overwhelmed him. "Breathe..." He gasped, falling to the ground as his arms gave out beneath him, coughing helplessly. Taylor rolled to his back, barely aware of Yvonne a short distance away, in a similar state to himself. Through the haze, the fiery glow became brighter, as trees and undergrowth were rapidly consumed. He heard a faint roar over the crackling of flames, as he felt his consciousness begin to flicker, slipping away from him once more; when a pair of hands reached out to him suddenly.

"I ain't losin' you twice, Boy Scout." Jake growled, grabbing him by the shoulders and hauling him to his feet determinedly.

 _"Jake..?"_  Taylor gasped between coughs, as the pilot wrapped his arm firmly around Taylors torso, and hurriedly dragged him out of the smoke. Through watering eyes, Taylor could barely make out Estela, helping Yvonne do the same. His heart hammered in his chest, his mind flooded by the surreal sensation of his pilots arm around him, his breath slowly beginning to come easier, as they moved through the forest, seeking to outdistance the spreading fire.

"You alright?" Jake asked nervously, stopping suddenly on the crest of a hill and drawing back slightly to peer down at him in obvious concern. Taylor had a brief moment of déjà vu, before he threw his arms around Jake and clutched at him desperately.

 _"Oh my god_... I-" he choked, tears coursing down his cheeks as he hiccupped and buried his face in the pilots jacket. His heart raced, as Jake gripped him back, almost crushing him in his overwhelming relief. "Holy shit..." He choked,a hysterical giggle escaping him as he drew back to stare at his pilot in relief and wonder. "I think so... Well, much better  _now,_  anyway..." He said, swallowing thickly as Jake ran his eyes over him assessingly. "Nice timing, by the way." He added, gripping Jake's jacket tightly, as the pilot finally rested their foreheads together, his shoulders relaxing at last as he relished the closeness between them.

 _"Oui,_  the two of you really know how to sweep in at just the right moment!" Yvonne gasped, her coughs abating as she winked at Jake suggestively. "How do you call it when there are two couples? A 'double date'?" She asked coyly, moving to stroll over and join them.

"Ha. You  _wish."_  Jake scoffed, grinning widely as he stared down at Taylor in blatant, and palpable relief. "This is one reunion party you are definitely  _not_  invited to..." He said, winking at Taylor, who giggled giddily and bit his lip, as he tangled his fingers deeper into the pilots jacket collar.

"Can we save the flirting for when we're  _not_  about to be burned alive..?" Estela asked flatly, rolling her eyes at the pair, as they almost forgot the rampaging lava, and lost themselves to their relief.

"Right... Burning. Bad." Taylor said, swallowing heavily as he ran his hands through Jake's hair briefly, still stunned to see his pilot before him and unharmed, if slightly ragged. He tore his eyes free from Jake's intense gaze, to survey the area, trying to concentrate on figuring out where they were and where they could flee to; as opposed to the feel of Jake's warm body against his own. "Wait..." He murmured, frowning as he looked around their group, his eyes widening in alarm.  _"Uqzhaal!"_  He called, turning back to the fallen tree with a concerned gasp, only to find no sign of the shaman.

"He was on the other side if the fallen tree..." Yvonne said, frowning at Taylor thoughtfully, as Taylor fidgeted guiltily. He looked back to the fallen tree, his heart sinking st the sad certainty which flooded him; he would not see the shaman again.

"Grandpa Smurf knows these jungles better than we do." Jake said reassuringly, taking Taylors hands in his own. "We're gonna have to just hope he can make it out on his own." He said, as Taylor stared longingly after the shaman, before sighing and reluctantly nodding in agreement.

Ball lightning continued to appear in the sky, raining down arcs of electricity. "How did you guys find us?" Taylor asked, distracting himself from his misery over his lost friendship with the Vaanti shaman.

"The chopper went down right after you fell..." Jake said, swallowing heavily as something dark passed over his eyes. "We've been combing the forest," he said, tipping his head towards Estela, though his eyes never left Taylor. "Cap and Big Guy are searching along the eastern coast."

"So Sean and Craig are alright..?" Taylor asked quickly, squeezing Jake's fingers tightly, as his heart rose in his throat, recalling The Endless's assurance that their friends were all okay.

"We can only hope." Estela said dryly, shaking her head at the destructive force of Mount Atropo's eruption. "It's been three days since we saw them..." She sighed, before scowling over at him in irritation. "Just so you know, you owe me  _big_  time for putting up with your pilots crap for-"

 _"Ahem,_  didn't think it'd take this much time to find you," Jake said loudly, unsubtly cutting Estela off, as his cheeks dusted pink. "But, Michonne over here will tell I'm wrong, every great once in a while." He added, flashing a cocky grin down at Taylor.

 _"Three days?!"_  Taylor yelped, jerking back in shock, his gaze flitting between the two in disbelief. "We only got separated a few  _hours_  ag-"

"Stop!" Estela hushed him suddenly, her eyes widening as she stared in to the distance beyond them. "Something's up ahead!" She said, pointing to where rays of bright blue light streamed from a glowing rift, hovering in mid-air.

"The hell?" Jake murmured, his own eyes widening as he stared at the strange disturbance in awe and suspicion.

"It's... like a window." Yvonne gasped, peering through the rift in awe. "I see a place on the other side." Taylor swallowed heavily, taking an uncomfortable step back, remembering the similar memory windows he'd seen in his mind.

 ** _"Skreeeee..."_**  A high pitched sound came from the jagged rear in reality, and Taylor frowned, cautiously stepping closer to look through for himself. He gasped, as he saw a herd of dinosaurs, roving through a prehistoric jungle; and, a huge pterodactyl, flying straight towards him.

"Everyone..!" He gasped, backing away hurriedly. " _Run for it_!" He cried, tugging at Jake's hand urgently as they launched themselves away from the rift as one.

 _ **"Skreeeee!"**_  The leathery winged beast cried piercingly, as it emerged from the window and slowly glided over their heads, flying through the burning jungle around them.

"Good lookin' out , Boy Scout." Jake choked, his shock filled wide eyes glancing at Taylor to throw him a grateful wink, before locking back onto the prehistoric creature.

 _"C'est un monstre!"_  Yvonne cried, gasping in fear and surprise combined, as they stared up at the flying beast in awe.

"Dinosaur!" Jake corrected, as he pressed Taylor a tree, keeping him out of sight of the ancient being. "But close enough for my mustard..." He said, as hugh overhead, the pterodactyl disappeared into darkening clouds.

"Let's, uh, get out of the way of this portal..." Taylor suggested, running a hand through his hair as his heart hammered on his chest, concern for his friends nipping at the edge of hysteria. "Or, whatever it is."

"Agreed." Estela said firmly, bidding her head at him sharply, though her eyes remained locked on the window, ever watchful for more danger; as they backed away slowly, before turning as one to run on into the forest, leaving the rift behind.

"This kind of stuff didn't happen during the last storm... did it?" Taylor huffed curiously, as they raced through the undergrowth.

"Hard to say." Jake panted back, squeezing Taylors hand as he glanced over and winked at him. "I was busy trying to keep Delilah from making a swan dive into the Caribbean at the time."

 _"'Delilah'?"_  Taylor murmured, frowning as he raised a brow at Jake, who merely rolled his eyes and shook his head, as he dragged Taylor deeper into the forest.

"We were lucky. We were spared... along with the island." Estela said firmly, before her face crumpled in realisation. "And now, there's nothing to go back to..."

"Take it easy, Ripley." Jake barked, looking over at Estela sharply. "I ain't having you crack at a time like this." He said, his eyes narrowing in warning.

"I'm not cracking." Estela growled, scowling at the pilot, before pausing, her face falling as she swallowed her anger away. "I'm being honest with myself. Everything's gone. This, is all we have now." She said, unknowingly causing Taylor to flinch guiltily, his thoughts drawn to The Endless and the time travellers confessions.

A series of blue flashes filled the air suddenly, drawing him from his thoughts before he could be consumed by his guilt. Two more rifts opened before their eyes, floating amid the trees. "Look's like Rourke's about to get that prehistoric theme park he always wanted." Jake said, eyeing the rifts dubiously.

 _"Whoa!"_  Taylor gasped, his fingers clutching tighter where they laced with Jake's, pulling them to a stop to brace themselves, as the ground suddenly heaved beneath them. "Oh, that does  _not_  feel good..." Taylor groaned, his stomach roiling with nausea.

" _Pour l'amour de Dieu_..." Yvonne growled, scowling around the jungle floor in irritation. "What  _now?!"_  She demanded, her hand falling to the hilt of her cutlass.

A groan came from the forest floor, as it split apart, causing lava to rise from a network of fissures. "Figures." Jake sighed, taking a step back from the mess materializing on the ground before them. "My day was going  _well_  for once."

"Don't you  _dare_  start whining again, McKenzie!" Estela growled, throwing him a filthy scowl, before returning her critical gaze to the lava.

Taylor tactfully ignored the jibe at his pilot, his eyes focusing on the lava which was destroying the forest around them, instead of Jake scowling back at Estela. "... The lava's burning everything!" He choked, backing away from the approaching lava, fear trickling up his spine; as he recalled the horrific burns he'd received beneath the observatory.

He looked up, to see Estela pointing towards the floating rifts. "The time portals!" She urged, racing towards them. "We've got no choice!  _Go!"_

"Copy that." Jake said, saluting her roughly as he and Taylor raced towards the rifts, just a few steps behind Estela.

"And, you guys are sure this is safe?" Taylor asked, immediately scoffing at his own idiocy. "Why do I ask stupid questions? First Diego's beard, now-" he broke off suddenly, his heart aching at the thought of his missing friend.

"Look's like some kind of bayou in this one." Jake murmured, stopping close to one and peering inside. "Moonlight... still water... Heh," he chuckled dryly, his eyes softening slightly. "Reminds me of home."

Taylor felt his heart ache, his pilots obvious pain and longing more than enough to make his choice for him. He glanced towards Estela, who raised a brow at him. "I see a room full of windows, and stars. It's actually... kinda beautiful..." She admitted shyly, before scowling over at him. "Just tell me where you're going, so I can choose the other one. I am  _not_  getting stuck with you two when you're-"

"See you later, Estela!" Taylor sniggered, lightly shoving the dark haired girl into the starry room, just as another flash heralded the appearance of a third rift. It slowly shimmered open in front of Yvonne, and the pirate peered inside cautiously.

"Hmm, well, I am content to follow where you lead, Ami's." She said, moving to step around the rift towards them. Jake huffed and stepped back, his hand rising to her shoulder as he grinned at her broadly.

"I told ya, Buccaneer Barbie..." He said, sniggering as he winked down at Taylor. "This is one party, you  _ain't_  welcome at." He said, lightly shoving at her shoulder and pushing her into the portal. "C'mon, Boy Scout." He said quickly, as the brush began to catch flame around them, tugging at Taylors hand and urging him into the bayou rift, following close behind him.

The rose of the eruption was suddenly gone, replaced by chirping insects and the gentle lap of water along a mossy riverbank.  _"Wow..."_  Taylor breathed, looking around in awe, instantly in love with the peaceful aura of the setting. "Looks safe enough." He said, turning to see the burning rainforest through the rift they'd just entered through. "Guess we'll have to pass the time here, until the fire dies down." He said thoughtfully, a soft smile blossoming on his lips, as as Jake's arms curled around his chest from behind.

Jake's warm body rested snugly against his back, his nose briefly brushing along Taylors throat, before he set his chin lightly atop his shoulder. "Guess so." He agreed, beaming a smug grin at Taylor, as their eyes met.

Taylor bit his lip, his body yearning for the pilot, as his emotions clamoured within him. Desire smoldered in his gut, while relief flooded his heart, and tears blurred his gaze. "I..." He choked, turning away from the pilots gaze to bury his face in his hands, shaking his head at his emotional breakdown.

"Hey," Jake said, his embrace shifting away briefly, as he turned Taylor gently, before once more enfolding him in his arms. "I know, Boy Scout...  _Believe me,_  I know." He whispered against his ear, squeezing his shoulders tightly, as Taylor wrapped his arms around the pilot, clutching the back of his jacket desperately.

He shook his head lightly, unable to voice the wretchedly swirling emotions within him.  _How do I even begin to explain..? What can I possibly say._.? He thought, thinking back over everything he'd learnt, since his fall from the helicopter. "Jake..?" He asked tentatively, his voice small and muffled, as he pressed his face against the pilots shoulder, hiding the confliction which no doubt blazed in his eyes. "You're really here..? Right? I'm not still drow-"

"Don't say it." Jake said sharply, and Taylor felt a pang of guilt in his heart, considering how he might have felt if it had been Jake who'd fallen to the depths. "Not gonna lie, Taylor." The pilot said, swallowing heavily as he tightened his hold on Taylor and burying his face in the side of his throat. "Past couple days... They ain't exactly been my fondest."

"Doesn't sound like they've been Estela's fondest either..." Taylor chuckled lightly, pushing aside his turbulent emotions for the tome being, and instead focusing on his pilot.

Jake huffed and scratched his neck guiltily, drawing back as he rolled his eyes and cleared his throat pointedly. He snagged Taylors hand, leading him to the waters edge; where they sat together, their shoulders resting side by side for comfort. "Whatever this place is... it's a real dead ringer for Pearl River..." He hummed thoughtfully, changing the subject without even attempting to be subtle about it.

Taylor snickered fondly, but chose to play along, letting Estela's grumpiness go until he could talk to her himself. "Is that where you grew up?" He asked, his eyes tracing over Jake's face as the pilot stared out into the water; noticing the dark rings beneath his eyes, and the tangles in his long hair, before catching the tiny longing smile, playing on the pilots lips.

"Yeah." Jake said quietly, taking a deep breath as he stared out at the peaceful scenery around them. Taylor sat quietly, content to just watch his pilot enjoy the view; savouring every moment with him, after the terrible way they'd been separated. "We moved around a bit, before I headed off to Annapolis, but my grandparents always had their place out in the backcountry." Jake went on after a long pause, his cerulean eyes distant, as he thought about the past he'd hidden from for so many years. "That house, was the center of the family." He said with a fond snort, shaking his head slowly, as a wry grin formed on his lips.

Taylor bit his lip, hesitant to press his pilot for information, when he looked so serene and relaxed for once. However, he was also filled with bubbling curiosity, a desperate desire to know more about the man he loved. "What was it like there..?" He finally asked, as Jake's brows rose in contemplation, and he dragged in a deep, thoughtful breath.

"It's a different world out there." He said slowly, looking over at Taylor with a soft smile. "Simpler way of life." He said lightly, nodding his head in gentle appreciation.

 _"Simple,_  sounds pretty nice right about now..." Taylor laughed quietly, shaking his head as he thought about all the things they'd been through in their time on the island. His smile faded, as he considered the things The Endless had told him, and he almost fell victim to his melancholy, when Jake's loud snort distracted him.

"You're tellin'  _me."_  The pilot scoffed, eyeing Taylor pointedly, causing him to shrug his shoulders innocently. Jake shook his head, looking back out to the bayou, his eyes turning distant as a fond smile curved his lips. "My sister and I would spend the day swimming, fishing, and pranking the neighbour kids..." He admitted quietly, leaning closer conspiratorially. "Our  _favourite_  trick, was a little thing called ' _Crabby Britches'."_  He said with a fond laugh, as he turned and beamed a great, mischievous grin at Taylor.

"' _Crabby Britches_ '?" Taylor said suspiciously, his smile returning as his eyes crinkled in amusement. "You mean..?" He asked, sniggering as Jake snorted and nodded eagerly.

 _"Exactly_  what it sounds like." The pilot laughed, utterly unashamed of his antics. "Strategically placed crawdad, when you least expect it."

"You two were little brats." Taylor snorted, giggling as he imagined a pint sized Jake with matching mischievous sister; flinging crawdad down the other kids clothing.

"We were." Jake agreed, sniggering at the fond memory. "It was  _great."_  He said, sighing wistfully, as he stared off into the distance.

"Do you miss it?" Taylor asked hesitantly, biting his lip uncertainly, as Jake swallowed but forced the smile to remain on his face.

"All the time." He admitted, lowering his gaze to his lap briefly, before squinting back over the river. "My sister and I had free run of the place. Two kids; and the big ol' river." He sighed, shaking his head as he searched for more tidbits he could feed Taylors obvious inquisitiveness regarding his past. "Every day was a new adventure. Flying's the only thing that even comes close to that sense of freedom." He said quietly, glancing over with a crooked grin.

"Sounds like a really special time." Taylor said quietly, squeezing Jake's hand gently.

Jake merely nodded in response, his gaze distant a moment longer, before locking onto Taylor intently. "Hold still." He said suddenly, his cerulean eyes piercing as he concentrated.

"What?" Taylor yelped, immediately tensing, expecting to be consumed by lava through the rift, or snatched by Rourke's henchmen. "Why?" He asked quickly, his eyes widening in panic, as Jake reached up; and gave his neck a sharp swat.  _"Hey!"_  He yelped, drawing back as Jake sniggered at his startled expression.

 _"Maringwin..."_  The pilot said, winking as he leaned closer and stage whispered in Taylors ear. "Otherwise known as a mosquito." He said with a huge grin, sniggering and drawing back, as Taylor swatted his shoulder. "Got him though. Not to worry."

"My hero." Taylor sighed, fluttering his eyelashes at the pilot, as Jake snorted and chuckled.

"I do what I can." He said with resigned aplomb, puffing his chest out proudly, until Taylor jabbed him with a finger. He sniggered, before pausing suddenly, turning thoughtful as he turned away and gazed into the distance vacantly.

Taylor bit his lip, sensing the shift in atmosphere around them. He sensed Jake's reluctance to meet his gaze, and hazarded a guess that he knew the reason for it. "Something wrong..?" He asked gently, firmly enclosing his heart from the bitter bite of jealousy, refusing to allow himself to be so selfish; when Jake so clearly needed him to be supportive.

"I just..." Jake muttered hesitantly, as Taylor picked up the pilots hands in his own, and folded them into his lap, staring down at the pilots long fingers and tracing them gently with his own, as he waited patiently. "... I keep going back... to the moment I lost him." Jake finally admitted quietly, a short pause later.

Taylor was proud of the way he managed to resist the desire to tense, reasoning that after such a shock; it was only understandable that Jake be feeling so much pain, the wound newly reopened and raw. "You mean Mike..?" He asked gently, though they both knew he hadn't needed to. Jake squeezed his hand at the gesture, the show of trust and affection, to not abandon him to his grief alone; despite his own conflicted feelings about Jake's former military partner.

"Lundgren... got his claws in him. Made him into something... inhuman." Jake said slowly, shaking his head in disbelief, as his hands curled into balls. Taylor frowned, recalling the awful burns on Mike's neck, his mechanical eye, mindless obedience; and his blank stare, without even a hint of recognition. "I could have saved Mike from all of this... And I  _didn't."_  Jake said, the words spilling forth unbidden and unstoppable, as grief and self loathing consumed him. His guilt ridden tone drew Taylor from his musings with a jolt, and he squeezed the pilots hands tightly, his heart aching for the pilot, even as it fluttered with a weak stab of jealousy.

"And now," Jake sighed, freeing a hand to run it through his hair distractedly. "Whatever's left of him is in there watching,  _suffering..."_  He said, his clear eyes heavy with unshed tears, as he gasped and shook his head. "I can't take it, Boy Scout." Jake finally admitted in a hoarse croak, swallowing heavily as his gaze met Taylors, a helplessness in his expression which broke Taylors heart for a multitude of reasons.

Taylor forced his eyes to hold Jake's gaze, determined to wipe the grief from his cerulean eyes. He painted a confident smile onto his face, and reached up to gently removed the pilots free hand from his hair, which he'd begun to tug on harshly. "Jake..." He said, making pausing to capture his pilots full attention, as he kissed his fingers gently; one by one, while he locked away his own emptions into the deepest and darkest compartment of his heart. "We're gonna get him out." Taylor said gently, watching with an aching heart as something welled up inside Jake. The pilot nodded fiercely, swallowing away his pain, as he looked over at Taylor determinedly.

"No matter  _what_  it takes." The pilot said with a firm scowl, unintentionally breaking open the compartment of his heart where he'd hidden his own emotions.

Taylor swallowed thickly, pushing back against the bile which tried to rise in his throat. "That's the spirit..." He said quietly, looking down at the pilots fingers in his lap.

After a long pause, one of Jake's hands moved, settling on Taylors back comfortingly. His other hand rose to Taylors chin, forcing his head up to meet the pilots knowing gaze. "Only  _you,_  could inspire other people, while making yourself feel like shit..." Jake said, shaking his head in disbelief, as Taylor shifted guiltily. "Taylor..." He sighed, exhaling slowly, as he ran his eyes over Taylor in deep thought. "You don't understand  _at all,_  do you?"

"What..?" Taylor asked awkwardly, attempting to shift out of the pilots hold, as his heart splintered with small jabs of pain, only for the man to shift slightly closer to him instead.

"Taylor... I'm prepared to go to severe lengths, to save my best friend..." Jake said slowly, gripping Taylors wrist tightly when he tried to turn away, his heart hammering against his chest fearfully. "But that's nothing!" He added quickly, grabbing Taylors shoulders and forcing him to meet Jake's gaze, as he startled at the pilots sharp tone.  _"Nothing..._  Compared to what I'd do for  _you."_  He said slowly, his clear eyes pleading with Taylor to listen and understand.

Taylor bit his lip, pointedly averting his eyes, as he tried to regain control over himself. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his fingers tapping together nervously, until Jake gently smoothed his own over the top of them, lacing them together slowly. "I just... It's been..." He hedged, unable to give voice to the rapidly interchanging emotions in his heart _. I have so much I need to tell you... The Endless, Rourke setting everything off, Aleister's ruse, Uqzhaal hating me_... He thought, closing his eyes as his throat constricted, refusing to let him voice any of his thoughts.  _I don't know how to tell you any of it_...

"Yeah," Jake huffed, his eyes lingering on Taylor, as his tense shoulders eased slightly. "Believe me, I know." The pilot said, shaking his head as his gaze turned distant.

Taylor was overcome with guilt, as he considered the pilots own emotions, having been searching for him for three days; as opposed to Taylors mere hours, since their separation. His heart swelled with guilt, and he sighed, as he tried to push everything aside.

"Helluva place, this island..." Jake sighed, shaking his head again as Taylor peeked up at him shyly, biting his lip nervously.

"You're telling  _me..."_  He said, glancing down as Jake's thumbs caressed the back of his hands softly. He looked back up, to find the pilots gaze had cleared and was locked onto him intently.

"We've been through a lot here, but, I gotta say..." Jake said, swallowing heavily as his eyes ran over Taylor slowly. "For you, Taylor, I'd do it  _all_  again." He said, reaching up to brush his fingers through Taylors hair, sweeping it away from his brow.

Taylor felt a rush of giddy affection, and he bit his lip hard to contain the grin which tried to escape him at the pilots words. His breath came quickly, as his heart fluttered in relief and love combined. He grasped Jake's hands in return, and pulled him closer, a tiny coy smile giving away his intention, as he leaned forwards. As their faces found each other, Jake grinned, and brought his lips to Taylors eagerly.

"Don't mind if I do..." He murmured, as his fingers brushed over Taylors cheek lightly. His kiss was soft and warm, caressing Taylor passionately, gradually; slowly stealing his breath away.

Taylor melted against him, his heart singing with love and affection for his pilot, as Jake gently tugged him forward and carefully brought him to sit in the pilots lap. His kiss remained soft, unhurried by lust or desire, an expression of his deepest affections. When at last they pulled apart, Taylor knew his cheeks were stained pink from a blush, feeling unusually bare before his pilot; raw and vulnerable, as Jake reached up to run his fingers through his hair with a beautiful smile.

Taylor bit his lip, clearing his throat as he slid out of the pilots lap to sit beside him, his heart light once more, at the intimate exchange of emotion between them. Jake's hand slid into his own, as the two of them gazed out over the water together, watching ripples cascade it's silken surface. "Hey, Boy Scout..?" Jake murmured quietly, drawing Taylors gaze to meet his own once more. "You ever think maybe... we were meant to be?"

Taylor felt himself smile slowly, and was surprised at the content purr which seemed to fill his heart. "I do think that." He said quietly, his heart rising to his throat as he allowed himself to let go, and live in this moment; alone with Jake, in their own private bayou. "Yes." He said, blinking slowly, as the words resonated within him, soothing his nerves, and his jealousy.

"All the craziness this place has thrown our way couldn't keep us apart." Jake agreed firmly, his fingers curling tighter around Taylors. "Even brought us to this Land Before Time swamp, that looks just like my old stomping grounds." He said, a light snort of disbelief escaping him.

Taylor squeezed Jake's hand, raising it to his lips and pressing a delicate kiss to his fingers. "I'm glad I could see it with you." He said warmly, his heart pulsing with love and affection.

"Me too, Boy Scout." Jake said, beaming over at Taylor, as he snorted and shook his head in exasperations.

"You're so damn smooth when you wanna be..." Taylor snickered, as Jake winked at him.

"Smooth is my middle name," the pilot said cockily, slowly trailing his hands up Taylors sides.

"Your middle name is Lucas." Taylor sniggered, swatting the pilots shoulder playfully. "But I think it's just a mis-spelling, because it really should be-"

Jake silenced him with a finger to his lips, grinning broadly at Taylors foolishness, before glancing over his shoulder at the hovering rift. Taylor followed his gaze, to see the sliver of visible rainforest was dark and smoky. "Fire's died down..." He said quietly, gently brushing Jake's finger aside.

"As we say in the South, ' _tempus sure does fugit_.'" He said, sniggering at Taylors blank expression. "You ready?" Jake asked instead, raising a brow, as Taylor slowly broke out in a mischievous and coy smile.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, slowly rising to his knees, only to lean forward against Jake and push him to the floor.

 _"Oof!"_  Jake gasped, his arms naturally folding around Taylor, as he held him close and peered up at him with a curious but amused smile.

"Five more minutes!" Taylor snickered, drawing a surprised bark of laughter from Jake, before he melted into another deep and passionate kiss with the pilot.

"That... was  _not_  five minutes..." Jake murmured sometime later, as Taylor giggled and winked, before moving back and helping the pilot to his feet.

"I learnt from the best." He said innocently, shrugging a shoulder as he bit his lip and peered up through his lashes.

"If you wanna get outta here, that ain't the face to be makin' at me, Boy Scout..." Jake warned, stepping closer, his eyes flashing with playful intent.

"Uh uh, Top Gun..." Taylor teased, backing away towards the rift with a giggle, as he wagged his finger. "Five minutes is over now..."

"There's only one good thing about that..." Jake said as he prowled closer to Taylor, a wolfish grin curling his lips, as Taylor raised a brow pointedly. "There's always... Five  _more_  minutes..!" He sniggered, as Taylor laughed, allowing himself to be captured in the pilots embrace for a moment. Taylor sighed, closing his eyes as he laid his head on Jake's shoulder, relishing the other mans close proximity. "You ready,  _now?"_  Jake asked quietly, sniggering when Taylor swatted at him blindly.

"As I'm ever gonna be." He sighed, finally opening his eyes to peer up at the pilot with a fond grin, before snagging his hand, and leading him back through the rift. The ground as they stepped through, was covered with writhing smoke. The lava fissures still emitted a dull glow, but the surrounding brush appeared to have stopped burning. Estela stood a shirt distance away, near the second rift.

"Welcome back." She said, a brow rising as she smirked over at them. "That was certainly quick, especially for you guys..." She said, sniggering as Taylor flushed at her insinuation.

"What can I say, Boy Scout was just so happy to see me, it was as if he-" Jake began teasingly, watching Taylors blush darken as his eyes widened.

"Wait,  _what?!"_  He yelped, looking over at Estela and waving his arms quickly. "That is not what happened! I, we... _Oh my god_... I hate you both so much right now." He groaned, covering his burning face with his hands briefly, before glaring up at Jake, as Estela laughed.  _"You,_  are supposed to be charming." He could see the pilots cocky reply forming, and rolled his eyes, shoving him mighty towards Yvonne's rift before he could say whatever amused him so.

Jake snickered, and hopped over a cooling fissure, peering into the third rift with a smirk. "Ground Control to Buccaneer Barbie." He called, as Taylor watched him with fond amusement, savouring the lingering lightness in his heart. He glanced at Estela, moving over to lean against her tree, bumping their shoulders affectionately, before she snorted and returned the gesture. "You can come out now." Jake called, stepping back as the pirate gingerly poked her tricorn topped head out, and checked the area carefully, before emerging with a satisfying stretch.

"A surprisingly pleasant sieste..." She said, smirking up at Jake fondly. "Shall we be on our way?" Her brows raising in confusion as Jake made a show of looking around for something.

The pilot frowned, scouring the area briefly, before smirking in glee. "Ah," he said, strolling over to Taylor and taking up his hand. "Boy Scout's. Never where ya leave 'em, always where ya least expect 'em." He sighed, as Taylor burst out laughing.

"Come on, you guys," he said, still sniggering, as Jake beamed down at him with a proud smirk. "Let's get out of here before that volcano comes us with a new way to kill us." He said, tipping his head away from the raging volcano. As the eruption continued to light up the night sky, the group set off, trudging on through the rainforest.

"So..." Taylor hummed, glancing at Jake slyly, before turning to Estela. "Did I hear you say something about Jake, and whining?"

"No." Jake growled, scowling down at him petulantly, as he tried to tug him further away from Estela.

"Yes." Estela groused, scowling at Jake, as the pilot turned towards her. Taylor snickered, comforted by the light banter and bickering between them, as they journeyed deeper through the forest.

Almost two hours passed in such a manner, with Jake and Estela gently bickering and teasing each other. Jake's hand remained firmly ensnared with his own, and Estela walked a short distance ahead of them, while Yvonne brought up the rear, until finally; the shoreline came into view.  _"Wow..."_  Taylor breathed, looking around in awe as they arrived at a wide, moonlit cove. Pillars if natural rock, risen from the sea like fingers, grasping for the stars. "Whoa... Where are we?" He wondered aloud, looking up at the glittering stars above them.

"Magnifique, non? Colonnade Cove." Yvonne said, grinning around the area fondly. "A treacherous harbor, that only master sailors dare traverse."

"So, now what?" Estela asked tiredly, her mood souring considerably as she stared at the sea blankly.

"Now, I guess we have a look around." Jake suggested, squeezing Taylors hand and winking at him suggestively.

"And what  _exactly_  are you expecting to find?" Estela groused, as Taylor swatted Jake's arm and gestured towards Estela, snickering when Jake pouted at him. "Look at the mountains. We're on the North side of the island."

"Sean and Craig were searching to the East, right?" Taylor asked, biting his lip worriedly, as he considered his friends and where they might be.

"Yes." Estela said shortly, looking down at the sand with an empty expression. "And the eastern coast is probably one giant inferno of lava, right now..." She said, shaking her head as she swallowed heavily and looked out to sea regretfully. "We took too long."

"We'll find 'em, Trinity." Jake assured, though Taylor saw Estela's shoulders tense at his words. "Just relax."

"Uh, Top Gun..?" Taylor hedged, as Estela grit her teeth and glared at the pilot in fury. "When have the words 'just relax' ever made you relax?"

"Well, there was that New Years party when we-" Jake began thoughtfully, before Estela's temper finally erupted, similar to Mount Atropo in its fury.

"Use my name, or don't speak to me again." She snarled, as Jake balked and leaned back, startled by her forceful reaction.

"Estela..." Taylor said gently, reaching for the dark haired girl, only for her to step away, setting herself down on the sand; facing away from the group.

"We were  _idiots,_  to think we could all make it through this together." She said bitterly, as Taylor bit his lip, fear and pain once more finding their way to his heart. "Honestly... I doubt  _anyone_  is getting out of here alive." Estela said quietly, her shoulders slumping, as she resigned herself to their fate.

"Ah,  _pardonnez-moi..._ " Yvonne said suddenly, ignoring Estela's meltdown entirely, as she stared with wide eyes at the shoreline. "But, do you happen to see something out by that cliff?" She asked, pointing to a shadowy outcropping of rock, a short distance away.

"More...  _beach...?"_  Jake offered unhelpfully, earning himself a distracted swat from Taylor, as he followed Yvonne's finger with a frown. He was just about to give up squinting into the darkness, when he finally noticed it.

"Something's over there..." He said quietly, a strange icy wind seeming to freeze his heart, leaving him cold and shivering, as he pressed himself to Jake's side. "I think... it's heading this way." He murmured, wishing he could go back and face the rampaging lava, as opposed to remaining in proximity of the approaching figure.

Taylor trembled beside his pilot, his fingers clutching tightly at Jake's, as a strange, indistinct figure approached slowly across the beach. The moonlight seemed particularly bright around it. "Is it the shaman?" Jake asked, squinting at the figure thoughtfully. "Jumanji, that you?" He called, as Taylor shook his head vehemently. There was no response from the figure however, it merely continued on its slow path towards them.

"... Wh-who's there?" Taylor called, his blood running colder, with every step closer the figure took. When it finally drew close enough to reveal detail, Taylor stumbled back a step, his heart lurching in terror as a lance of ice spread down his back.

"Hey,  _whoa!"_  Jake murmured grabbing him by the shoulders and steadying him, peering down in concern to meet Taylors frantic and wild eyes. "What is it..? What... Is this, like, another idol thing..?" The pilot asked suddenly, glancing towards Taylors bag suspiciously, unaware the idols had already served their purpose.

Taylor shook his head, unable to give voice his feelings, as he stared at the green light; ululating within a translucent, ghostly body. He choked, beginning to hyperventilate as he gazed at the featureless face, lost in the void within.

 _"Holy..."_  Jake gasped, upon looking up to see the figure for himself. "What the hell-?" He scoffed, drawing Taylor behind him slightly, as he stared in wide eyed awe.

"Oh,  _non, non, non_!" Yvonne cried, her gaze turning fearful as she hurriedly backed away. "Yvonne does  _not_  do ghosts!" The pirate cried, whirling on her heel and rubbing for a cluster of palm trees, just as Estela turned to look.

Her jaw dropped, as the figure came to a halt, a few paces short of the dark haired girl, seeming to study her grief stricken face with a curious tilt of its head. "What is this?" Estela gasped, scooting backwards in the sand. "W-what's happening?" She demanded, as it raised a hand towards her, offering something. Taylor frowned, taking a deep breath as he trampled all the fearful emotions churning in his gut, and stepped forward to look at the small object, which was partially visible in its luminous grasp.

"Boy Scout-" Jake warned, as Taylor disentangled his hand from the pilots, overcome with the pull to see what the being offered.

"Is that..." Estela gasped, looking up at the being sharply. " _How did you get that_?" She demanded suddenly, tears pricking her eyes.

"What is it?" Taylor asked, drawn by an overwhelming desire to see for himself, as he fell to his knees in the sand beside Estela. "What does it have?" He pressed, the pull centralizing in his chest, now that his fear was obscured; drawing him ever urgently to Estela, and the object the being held.

"A... A photo I kept at home... in San Trobida." Estela explained haltingly, disbelief swirling in her dark eyes, as she stared at the object longingly. "It's me, my mother, and Tio Nicolas..." She said in awe, before shaking her head firmly, her face falling as her previous melancholy reclaimed her. "It  _can't_  be real. Everything out there is burned to cinders." She sighed dejectedly, as she stared up at the spectral entity fearfully, unable to reach out to it. The light within its body faltered, growing dim and seeming to swirl in growing frustration.

In desperation, the figure to Taylor, extending the photo towards him. Taylor swallowed heavily, his heart seeming to shiver nervously, at the close proximity to the being. He clenched his jaw tight, and looked down at the picture for himself, noticing that it was slowly darkening at the edges. It looks ready to burst into flames any second... He thought, his eyes widening at the implication. Taylor hesitated, the picture blistering at one corner, before he tentatively reached forward. As soon as he grasped the photograph, the figure disappeared completely.

"... It's  _gone!"_  Estela gasped, as Taylor stared down at the photo thoughtfully. His fingers delicately touched the burnt edges, which were still warm, but cooling rapidly. He looked up at Estela, who stared at the photo longingly. He swallowed, anticipating the worst, as he moved to hand it to Estela. Sure enough, the moment she touched it, everything was suddenly awash with light.

Taylor gasped, expecting to be flooded with dread, but was pleasantly surprised to find himself consumed by a comforting sense of contentment. As the haze of light cleared, he found himself in a cozy, yet sparsely decorated room. A man with tied back grey hair, was leaning over a desk, trying to fix an old typewriter.

"Come on, you  _tonto..."_  He growled, smacking the typewriter's cabinet with his fist. The machine emitted a sad and pitiful clang, as its keys clicked back into place. With a relieved hum, the man sat down, and got ready to resume typing. After a moment of hesitation however, he sighed. "... Now I've forgotten where I was."

A vibrant knock sounded at the door, and the man turned to see Estela enter the room, carrying a large box. "Ha." The man snorted, leaning back in his chair and eyeing her with obvious amusement, making no move to help her. "And there's my niece, who thinks she can fix everything, with her fancy college degree!" He teased, as Estela giggled.

"Hola, Tio Nicolas." She said, beaming the brightest grin Taylor thought he'd ever seen light her face. "I have something for you..." She said leadingly, as Nicolas eyed the box suspiciously, his face falling into a grimace when he found the image of a desktop computer.

"Estelita, I told you... I don't want that." He sighed, groaning in frustration as Estela promptly ignored him and set the box on a nearby desk. "Everything's traceable with computers." He protested, pouting over at her.

"You're not going to use it for planning revolutions, Tio." Estela snorted, rolling her eyes, as she leamd her hip against the door. "It's for your memoirs. You're never going to finish them on that rusty old thing." She said, gesturing to the typewriter with obvious contempt.

"It works fine enough!" Nicolas argued, scowling over at Estela's knowing smirk.

"Does it?" She asked, giggling as she tipped her chin towards a thin stack of haphazardly typed pages, sitting on the desk. "Tio, how are you going to inspire generations of San Trobidans, with your life's story, if you can't even get a single chapter done?" She asked gently, stepping away from the door as her uncle averted his eyes, and moving closer to embrace him lightly.

"Alright,  _alright."_  The man sighed after a few moments of confortable silence. "I know how futile it is to argue with you..." He said reluctantly, throwing a fond but baleful glare up at her.

"Good." Estela said with an amused snicker, beaming a wide grin at him and pressing a quick kiss to his temple, as she clapped her hands on his shoulders in excitement. "Now, help me unpack it!"

Nicolas rolled his eyes, as Estela dragged him from his chair to gather around the box. He watched as she eagerly popped open the cardboard flaps, shaking his head at her fondly. "You never give up." He said, ruffling her hair in affection. "Just like your mother... I should call you Livita." He huffed in amusement, as she placed a large bundle of packing material in his hands.

"I'm  _not_  a little girl anymore, Tio." Estela reminded him, winking up at him conspiratorially, before delving back into the box.

"No, you're not." He said, his smile turning soft as he watched her work, sorting through the box and removing packaging where necessary. "She'd be  _very_  proud to see you now. All grown up, and on your way to great things." His face twisted with guilt, and he shook his head as he sighed. "You should be somewhere exciting and full of promising young people. New York... London..."

"I like it here." Estela said dismissively, as she drew out the computer screen from the box and set it carefully on the desk.

"San Trobida is your  _past,_  Estalita." Nicolas pressed, his gaze pleading as his niece continued to ignore him.

"It's my  _home."_  She said simply, glancing up at him with a raised brow. "We fought for this place, remember?"

"I will  _never_  forget." He said softly, after only a brief hesitation, as he stared at her scarred eye. "But, we're free of Salazar's corruption now. And we've sent a signal, that fascism will  _not_  be tolerated here,  _ever_  again." He pressed, watching Estela pull wires and cables from the box eagerly.

"Yes." Estela sighed, pausing to take a deep breath and gaze out the window fondly. "And now, it's time to take care of ourselves." She said with a small nod, smiling back at her uncle with a small wink. "Time to rebuild, and plan for the future."

"Are you..." Nicolas gasped, his eyes widening at Estela's implications. "Thinking of starting a family..?!"

"Maybe I am." Estela giggled, beaming up at him with a wide grin, as her uncles expression clouded.

"Did you meet someone? When? Who is it?" He demanded, frowning down at his niece as she laughed at him. "Should I shoot him? See how he handles pain..?"

"Maybe, none of your business, and  _no."_  Estela snorted, eyeing her uncle fondly, as he released his stern expression and laughed, as he shook his head in fond surprise.

 _"Ha!"_  He huffed, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Didn't think I'd see the day..." He snorted, sighing as his gaze turned wistful. "Perhaps I'll even be a tio abuelo... Ah... how the time escapes me." He said, sniffling as his eyes turned misty with joy.

Estela rolled her eyes, as she plugged in the computer tower, and powered it on. She handed Nicolas the instruction manual with a grin, patting him on the shoulder gently. "Okay, you've got it from here, right?" She said, raising a brow as he scoffed and nodded confidently. "Give me a call if you need any help."

"Help?" He sneered, sniffing derisively at her offer, as he flipped randomly through the manual.  _"Hmph,_  I'll be fine." He said, frowning as he looked at the computer. He glanced at Estela, raising a brow as he lowered his voice and leaned closer to her. "Uh... where do I put the paper?" He asked quietly.

Estela burst out laughing, her joy infectious even to Taylor, who felt it radiate through him. "Oh,  _Tio..."_  She sighed, shaking her head as she looked at him fondly, sharing a crooked smile with her uncle, as another burst of intense light flooded Taylors vision; and a moment layer, he found himself back at the cove.

Estela was holding the photo tightly in her hands, tears streaming down her face. "You two okay?" Jake asked, as he crouched down behind them, his concerned gaze falling to Taylor; who smiled warmly in reply.

Estela locked her gaze onto Taylors, and he could see in her dark eyes, that she'd seen the vision for herself. "I... was that..." She babbled, shaking her head as she hiccupped a shaky breath.  _"How..."_

Taylor smiled softly, hope flaring in his heart, as he reached over and squeezed Estela's hands gently. "I think... we were seeing the future. A future that could've been."

"Yes." Estela said, her gaze falling to the shore and lingering there, watching the tide wash in and out. She turned towards Taylor suddenly, and embraced him tightly.

 _"Shh..._  It's okay..." He soothed softly, smiling gently, as Jake rolled his eyes and huffed, moving away to lean against a tree and pout in the other direction.

"... I'd forgotten..." Estela whispered against his shoulder, as he rubbed her back and drew her closer. "How much I  _miss_  my home..." Taylor glanced down, to see her staring at the photograph over his shoulder. "When I was little, all I wanted was to have a family one day..." She said, drawing back and inhaling deeply. She glanced at Jake, and then back at Taylor. "We're going to  _fix_  this." She said determinedly, drying her eyes on her sleeve.

"Damn right we are." Jake said from his tree, winking down at Taylor as he grinned at the both and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"No more anger." Estela said, sighing deeply and seeming to release all her tension, relief and determination flooding her as she gazed at the stars. "No more despair. We owe it to ourselves, to fight for the future with all we've got." She said, swallowing heavily as she lowered her gaze and turned to them with a soft smile. "I think maybe I... I just needed to  _see_  it, to keep believing in it."

"Now  _that's_  the Estela _I_  know." Jake said, pushing off fro his tree and ambling down to rejoin them.

Estela glanced at him slyly, a slow grin blossoming on her face, as she nudged him with her shoulder. "It's Katniss, cabron."

 _"Ha!"_  Jake sniggered, beaming a huge grin at the dark haired girl. He turned to look at Taylor, who rolled his eyes at the smugness radiating from the pilot. Jake frowned suddenly, his eyes narrowing in thought as he traced his finger over Taylors torso.

"Do I even wanna know what that look is for?" Taylor asked hesitantly, raising a brow as Jake glanced up and winked at him.

"I decided to scrap the label idea," the pilot explained, grinning as he drew Taylor against him. "Next time we're at the Treehouse, I'm just gonna get it tattooed..." He said, sniggering as Taylor burst out laughing, recalling his teasing from when they'd been in the burning world outside of La Huerta.

"You are  _so_  not doing that." Taylor snorted, jabbing the pilots shoulder affectionately, as Jake wiggled his brows and sniggered, drawing him closer to his side.

"Sean and Craig must've seen the eruption coming..." Estela said thoughtfully, ignoring Jake and Taylors banter. "Hopefully, they found a place to wait it out." She said determinedly, as Yvonne came running over to them.

 _"Ahem."_  She coughed, upon rejoining them. "While i was, ah, scouting... I found something else." She said, gesturing in the other direction along the shore, to where a cluster of huts rested in the shadow if a large cliff.

"A village?" Taylor said in surprise, looking the huts over thoughtfully. "Those look like Vaanti dwellings..." He said hopefully, his fingers curling into Jake's jacket, as he turned to his pilot excitedly.

"Maybe someone will know the whereabouts of the other Catalysts." Jake said, puffing out his chest and striking a heroic pose, as he peered down his nose. "We're kind of a big deal, after all." He drawled, beaming a huge grin at Taylor, before his heroic pose crumpled into a quiet huff of laughter.

Taylor smiled at his pilot, lowering his hand to Jake's, and squeezing gently. He grinned at Estela, who nodded eagerly, and he felt his heart soar with a rising wave of hope. "Let's go find out."


	2. Tricks Of The Trade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like i should apologize. This chapter.. ahould not have taken me so long. I could say work caught up to me, i was busy doing something important but... honestly, i can feel what i tend to call a 'drop' coming, which is when my depression hits me - and as a result my obsessive nature decided to focus on finding gay romance films... dont ask ne why, i have no clue...
> 
> Anyway, i apologize because i dont feel this is the best of chapters anyway - but i hope its not ao bad as i think and you can enjpy it. 
> 
> I will try to get the next chapter ready soon for you xxx
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I don't know how you do it, but you manage to always make every experience with you feel like the first... And yes, I am aware of the corn-alert, and the way you will roll your eyes at that... But, I don't care. You take my breath away..._

_Of course, every time I **am**  with you; it seems inevitable that something insane happen just before or after... Like, say... Winning a long lost pirate ship from it's... Uh, unique... Captain_...

**2.**

**Tricks Of The Trade.**

Taylor tugged Jake's hand gently, leading him, along with Estela and Yvonne, to make their way over to the cluster of vaanti dwellings along the beach. "Looks like some kinda market, but everything's shuttered up..." Jake hummed, squinting at the huts thoughtfully.

"You really think someone here might've seem our friends?" Taylor asked hopefully, thinking of everyone they'd been separated from. Jake squeezed his hand reassuringly, looking down with a warm grin and an encouraging wink.

"It is an island, after all." Yvonne chimed in, squinting at him as she grinned widely. Taylor sighed and looked at the stars as they walked, thinking of Diego, and smiling as he recalled his friend when he'd been talking to Varyyn.  _Even though we're apart, I know, we'll be looking at the same stars_... He swallowed away his grief at the thought of his missing friend, and savoured his affection, telling himself firmly that they would find him soon; along with everyone else.

"Guess we're gonna have to start pounding on doors." Jake said lightly, looking entirely too pleased at the prospect, in Taylors opinion. The pilot reluctantly freed his hand from Taylors, walking up to the central hut and getting ready to knock, when a small round window swung open.

" **Solabok tiji!**  We're closed!" Yelled a Vaanti, wearing a vibrant orange and red frog mask.

Taylor flinched, startled by the angry looking mask, but quickly recovered himself, smiling widely as he sidled up to the window. "Even for the Catalysts?" He asked, raising a brow as he gestured between Estela, Jake and himself with a wink.

"Twelve Catalysts of myth and legend." Jake said proudly, and Taylors smile faltered briefly, a stab of guilt infecting him, as he recalled The Endless's revelations; and Uqzhaal's negative reaction. "Perhaps you've heard of us?" Jake preened, clearly enjoying himself, as he beamed at the Vaanti with a cocky grin. Taylor couldn't help but huff in amusement at his pilot, Jake's ridiculous enthusiasm too distracting to allow him to fall any deeper into melancholy.

"Catalysts, huh?" The frog masked Vaanti hummed, though Taylor could sense his disinterest. "Wow. Yep.  _Really_  something." They said flatly, grabbing hold of the window. "Still closed." He said flatly, preparing to shut the window on his stall. "There were others like you at the cove recently... but not nearly as annoying!" The Vaanti muttered darkly, his shoulders tensed in irritation.

"Others?" Taylor gasped, his hand shooting out to prevent the window closing. "Like us?!" He asked urgently, raising his hands in placation, as the Vaanti mask stared blankly towards him. "Wait! I might have something that'll interest you..." He pleaded, rifling through his bag quickly, looking for something he could trade for the Vaanti's information.

"Boy Scout, you're gonna barter with this guy?" Jake asked, torn between amusement and disbelief at the thought. Taylor glanced up to wink at Jake, and caught sight of something poking from the pilots jacket pocket.

"How about a sublime cigar?!" He asked desperately, ignoring Jake's yelp of surprise, as he struck with lightning reflexes to grab the cigar from his pocket, and offered it to the Vaanti. "You haven't lived until you've tried one of these babies..." He said with a broad grin.

"Boy Scout ain't wrong." Jake huffed, narrowing his eyes at Taylors all too pleased expression, though he played along. "I, uh, may have sampled it a little..."

"Hmm..." The Vaanti said, scratching his chin thoughtfully, as he gazed at Taylor through his mask.  _"Promising."_  He concluded, as Taylor held the cigar out to the frog masked Vaanti hopefully.

"Okay, so I'll trade it to you for-" he began eagerly, only for the frog masked Vaanti to hold up his hand, gesturing for Taylor to be silent.

"Gurgi doesn't need it." The Vaanti said, folding his arms over his chest, as he tipped his head back towards his stall. "Have several."

"Oh." Taylor said quietly, as Jake smirked and delicately plucked the cigar from his hands, beaming as he returned it to his pocket, while Taylor scowled and sighed in defeat.

"Your selling technique, though,  _that_  has promise!" Gurgi said, the first hint of enthusiasm entering his tone. He peered at Taylor through his mask, chuckling softly, and causing Taylor to shift his weight in awkward discomfort. "Come back tomorrow, and Gurgi will have a business proposition for you." The Vaanti said, before he immediately slammed the window shut, leaving the group in stunned silence.

 _"Rude."_  Estela snorted at last, glaring at the window which Gurgi has slammed behind him.

Jake stifled a yawn, looking around the dark and quiet Vaanti village thoughtfully. "Looks like our best bet'll be to come ask around in the morning." He said, running a hand through his hair, before cocking his thumb towards a secluded area down the beach. "In the meantime, patch of sand over there's calling my name..." He said, flashing a crooked grin around the group.

"Let's get some rest," Taylor agreed, sighing as he cast a final longing look to Gurgi's shop. "Then we can see what we can find out tomorrow..." He said, as Jake wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and drew him into a brief hug.

 _"Raisonnable."_  Yvonne agreed, nodding with an unnecessary flourish, as she laid her hand to her chest briefly. "I will take first watch." She said, as the four of them made their way over to the secluded spot on the beach Jake had found them, and settled down to spend the night.

Taylor dumped his bag against the cliff and quickly removed the heavier parts of his armour, stacking it beneath his bag. He flopped to the sand with a sigh, staring up at the stars with a tendril of hope in his heart. However, at the same time, a trickle of guilt attempted to filter its way into his gut. He grimaced, and rolled onto his side, turning away from his friends as he wrapped his arms around himself and wondered how they would react, when be finally found the courage to confess his findings to them.  _What if they hate me?_  He wondered, his fingers digging into his shoulders, as his knees unconsciously curled higher in his distress.  _What if they blame me? Would they really be wrong._.? He bit his lip, his thoughts racing in his mind as his heart thudded painfully against his ribs, sleep seeming a million years away in his rising panic.  _The Endless wants to preserve the island... Caused the time loop, made the idols, betrayed and manipulated the Vaanti... And, he's me._.. He sighed, shivering in the warm night air, as his heart clenched in fear.  _And... Everyone would be right, to hate me for it..._  He thought, swallowing heavily as he stared at the sand vacantly.

He was startled when Jake curled up next to him, the pilots strong arms curling around him, as he fit himself snugly against Taylors back. "You looked like you needed a big spoon." He murmured, his lips brushing light but scratchy kisses along the side of his throat. Taylor grinned despite himself, curling tighter into the pilots embrace and arching himself backwards, causing the pilot to groan. "Boy Scout, you keep that up and we're gonna have an issue..." He warned, his teeth grazing the shell of Taylors ear gently.

"Is that so?" Taylor asked, giggling as he repeated the motion, moving slower and relishing the pilots hiss, as he tightened his hold on him. "And, uh... Just what kinda issue would that be, exactly?" He asked, the pilots playful banter soothing the harsh swirl of emotions in his heart, dampening his fears and distress; for now.

"The kind where I swear alot, trying to get what's left of this stupid armour offa you; without letting anyone see what's underneath..." Jake mumbled, his stubble scratching Taylors collarbone, as the pilot moved aside the thin red shirt and kissed along his shoulder. Taylor snickered quietly, biting his lip as he tipped his head and exposed his neck further, Jake immediately moving to focus on the area. He gasped as Jake's fingers splayed over his stomach, beneath his shirt, ghosting across his flesh light enough to elicit small shivers of excitement. "... You're a goddamn tease, at the  _worst_  of times..." Jake murmured, his arm curling firmly around Taylors midriff and holding him tight against him.

"Hmm... is that you whining again, McKenzie?" Taylor asked, sniggering when Jake gave a dry chuckle in response, the rough rumble reverberating through his back. "Did you want me to...  _stop..?"_  He asked, arching his neck, and peeking over his shoulder to see his pilot scowling at him, desire burning in his impassioned gaze.

 _"Want?_  Not a chance..." Jake groaned, allowing himself a final moment of pleasure, before pressing his lips to Taylors ear. "But if you don't, Katniss is  _not_  gonna be impressed with the outcome, and we're both gonna get yelled at..." The pilot promised darkly, as Taylor bit his lip and shivered, unsure if Jake were trying to warn him off or encourage him. " _A lot_." Jake whispered huskily, before he nipped at Taylors ear sharply.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed breathlessly, glancing over his shoulder with a regretful expression. "Guess I better behave then, huh?" He asked, blinking innocently, as Jake scowled. "Just for tonight, anyway." Taylor amended, winking at Jake coyly and blowing him a kiss.

Jake groaned and pressed his forehead to Taylors shoulder, his body taut with desire, as Taylor bit his lip and grinned. "Go to  _sleep,_  Taylor..." He said with a reluctant sigh, embracing Taylor tightly and holding him close.

Taylor snickered to himself, his heart warmed by the playful exchange with his pilot. He settled himself down to sleep, content to feel Jake's heart against his back, its steady throb slowly calming his excitement and eventually, luring him into darkness. What felt like no time later however, he was awoken by the sound of yelling.

He blinked blearily, waking slowly to find himself still in Jake's embrace. He smiled sleepily, as he peeked back at Jake's peaceful sleeping expression, before arching his back in contentment and preparing to go back to sleep; when the raised voices returned. He frowned and looked up at the huts tiredly, groaning when he found Yvonne stood in front of a market stall, laden with goods. The angry frog masked Vaanti from late the previous evening, appeared highly agitated with her.

"Gurgi said  _go away_!" The Vaanti fumed, glaring at the pirate through his vibrant mask. "We've had enough of your kind, raiding and pillaging!" He yelled, and Taylor couldn't help but giggle, imagining the Vaanti's covered face to be a similar shade as his mask.

"Not all of us are like that,  _Ami..."_  Yvonne rebuffed, utterly unbothered by the Vaanti's outburst. "Some of the most respectable people you'll ever meet are pirates!" She cheered brightly, beaming a cocky grin at the shop owner.

"Oh, really?" Gurgi snarked, folding his arms over his chest as he shook his head in disgust. "Is that why you pocketed those mezzberries?" He demanded, snorting when Yvonne's face dropped in sudden shock.

Yvonne looked down at the berries briefly, before peeking back up at the shop owner with wide eyes. "... They were not free samples?" She asked in surprise, as Taylor grinned and reluctantly extricated himself from his pilots arms, reaffixing his armour over his shirt.

"You're all the same!" Gurgi cried, emitting a furious squeal-like scream, as he shooed Yvonne away from his stall. "Thieving good for nothings!" He yelled loudly, causing Jake and Estela to stir nearby.

Taylor watched with rapt fascination as his pilot slowly awoke, his armour forgotten in his hands, as he watched Jake groggily sit up. A slow grin bloomed on his face, enjoying the opportunity to catch the pilot off guard.

"Mm?" Estela hummed, rubbing her eyes sleepily, as she sat up a short ways away. Taylor glanced over at her, and his grin grew, the fierce girl sleepy and confused and; though he would never confess it to her in person, utterly adorable. Her hair was falling loose on one side, and a small patch of sand stuck to her cheek, but it was the way her dark eyes remained clouded by whatever dream she'd been having; which really made Taylor find her to be unusually cuddly.

"Ugh..." Jake groaned, and Taylor looked back at his pilot, as Jake shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "Where's the fire?" He grumbled, sighing as his hands fell to his knees and he looked at the sand expectantly. The pilot frowned, and Taylor felt an absurd rush of giddy amusement, at the confusion in his sleepy gaze. He finally finished strapping the final arm plate into place on his armour, and then hurried over to his pilot, as Jake looked up at him with a baleful pout. "Bad, Boy Scout. No moving allowed."

Taylor snickered, dropping into the pilots lap and leaning forward to press a loud kiss to his cheek, giggling as he drew back and caught sight of Jake's raised brows. "Morning, Top Gun." He sniggered, kissing his other cheek quickly, before folding his arms around him tightly. "Hmm, I could get used to seeing you two so sleepy..." He teased, winking at Estela as she rolled her eyes, waking herself quickly.

"You try spending three days with an idiot who won't stop talking nonsense, see how tired you feel." The dark haired girl groused, removing her hair band to retie her hair. "Even more so when he wouldn't sleep, I might add."

Taylor raised a brow at Jake, who grinned lazily at him, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair affectionately. "I dunno what she's talking 'bout, Boy Scout, I don't remember any idiots comin' with us; Cap and Big Guy went off the other way." He said, winking conspiratorially, as Taylor sighed and lowered his eyes, toying with Jake's dog tags distractedly. He heard Jake groan, and peeked up to see his pilot scowling lightheartedly at Estela. "Now ya went and made him feel guilty." He snarked, turning back to focus on the little crease forming between Taylors brows.

"If he feels guilty, he's as much of an idiot as you." Estela quipped, rolling her eyes as she looked over at them with a frown. "Which I suppose would make you a perfect match."

"Hear that, Boy Scout?" Jake said proudly, beaming a bright grin at him, though his concern remained in his eyes. "Katniss said I'm perfect." He said in a loud stage whisper, as Taylors lips reluctantly curled into a small grin, his eyes flicking up to meet Jake's briefly, before ducking back down to his dog tags. He tried to fight the amusement of his pilots smugness, but he quickly felt his heart warming with appreciation.

"She's right you know," he huffed, radiating fond affection as he curled his fingers into the pilots jacket collar. "You really  _are_  an idiot sometimes."

"Hey, if it gets me a lapful of Boy Scout, I'll play any role." Jake sniggered, his hands sliding down Taylors sides to grip his thighs. "I'll still be the winner." Taylor bit his lip and laughed quietly as Jake grinned, finally allowing himself to relax, his mission to stop Taylors irrational guilt a success.

"Come now," Yvonne said, raising a hand to Gurgi in placation, drawing their attention towards the angry frog masked Vaanti's stall. "I'm a customer! Like everyone else..." She tried to reason, and Taylor sniggered, certain he could see steam rising from Gurgi.

"You should leave..." The shop keeper said firmly, his golden eyes narrowing behind his mask. "Oh, unless you have some  _throats to cut or property to steal!"_  He squawked angrily, waving his hands at the pirate to shoo her away.

 _"C'est dommage."_  Yvonne sighed, shaking her head in defeat and walking back towards them.

"Yvonne?" Taylor called, stifling a giggle as he watched her approach dejectedly. "Everything okay?" He asked knowingly, as she merely shrugged and began munching a handful of berries. Taylor exchanged a grin with Jake, sniggering quietly as he turned to look back towards the stall.

The angry frog masked trader was trying his hardest to get the attention of Vaanti passing through the area, offering them items almost desperately, as he called out to them.  **"Kostarii!"**  He cried eagerly, only for Vaanti to ignore him, passing by without even glancing at him. "Gurgi's stall is where dreams are bought and sold! Come trade with one who is patroned by Elyyshar Varyyn himself!"

 _"Varyyn?!"_  Taylor yelped, his amusement whisked away by a sharp slap of surprise. He stared in frozen shock for a moment longer, until Jake gently eased him from his lap with a sigh.

"That's our cue." The pilot said, pushing to his feet and pulling Taylor up beside him, quickly leading him over to the stall, with Estela beside them. Yvonne scowled and sniffed derisively, but followed behind them none the less. Taylor noticed several Vaanti peering their way curiously as they approached, but his heart was thudding too loud in his ears for him to hear if they addressed them.

"Ah, just the one Gurgi wanted to see!" The frog masked merchant called eagerly, upon catching aight of Taylor. "Come, there's a deal to be made!" He said, waving Taylor closer.

"So Varyyn was here?" Taylor asked, shaking his head as he spread his palms.  _"When?_  Was there a guy with him, 'bout this high, dark hair,  _ridiculous_  beard; which he probably talked to about a lot of stuff you would not have understood-"

"Taylor,  _breathe..."_  Jake said, leaning close to Taylors ear and squeezing his hand.

Taylor forced himself to the pilots advise, drawing in a deep breathe and attempting to reorganize his thoughts into something more coherent than his frantic babbling. He sighed, and glanced at Jake with a grateful squeeze of his hand, before facing the merchant once more. "Please, where did Varyyn  _go?"_  He asked, the fingers of his free hand tapping in nervous anticipation against the wooden counter.

The trader glanced at the Vaanti milling around the market, and then at the untouched goods on his counter. "Gurgi can take you to the Elyyshar..." The merchant said, slyly looking up at Taylor from beneath his mask. "But first, your help is needed. You see..." Gurgi broke off, feigning a great tearful sniff, which Taylor rolled his eyes and sighed at. "There hasn't been a single sale today... If things don't turn around soon, Gurgi will have to close...  _Permanently!"_  He wailed, as Taylor groaned and rubbed the back of his neck tiredly.

"We didn't come here, looking for a job." Estela said firmly, scowling at the frog masked merchant in blatant disgust.

"Just help complete  _one_  barter!" Gurgi pleaded, gesturing to his wares eagerly. "Then, we go see the Elyyshar." He promised.

Taylor sighed in resignation, looking around the traders stall impassively. "I guess that sounds simple enough." He huffed, poking suspiciously at what looked like a jellified oyster shell.

"We're gonna hawk Frog Mart's wares?" Jake snorted, raising a brow at the dubious items on display. "What even is some of this stuff?" He asked, picking up a string of seaweed and cocking an amused grin at Taylor, upon realising it had been fashioned into a bikini thong. Taylor swatted it from his fingers, wrinkling his nose at the pilot, as Jake sniggered gleefully.

 _"Gah!"_  Gurgi growled, snatching the amusing item away and tucking it out of sight. "The value of my goods will be obvious to any who see them!"

"If you say so." Estela snorted, shaking her head as she peered at a display of shells curiously.

Taylor watched with amusement as his friends picked items from Gurgi's stall, and moved away to wander through the market, trying to trade with the various Vaanti.

" **Zehn tosskal**." A female with a skull mask buzzed angrily, as Jake tried to capture her interest, skipping backwards to keep pace with her.

"Aw, come on. It's, uh..." He pleaded, his eyes widening as he gestured at the item emphatically. "A hat, made out of bananas!" He said, as Taylor snickered behind his hand, biting his lip to keep from laughing any louder. "What's not to like?" The pilot enthused.

Taylor grinned, a deep rush of affection for his pilot flooding his heart, as he shook his head and turned towards Yvonne. "Come and get your seaweed crackers!" She called loudly, beaming a wide grin at the various Vaanti, winking st any who looked her way. "And,  _Amis,_  I can attest to their deliciousness..." She said, popping one into her mouth with a coy smile.

"No, no!" Gurgi cried indignantly, glaring at her from beneath his mask. "Those are opaba lisi.  _Dried leeches_!" He said, scowling as Yvonne stared at him blankly, before she began quickly spitting the remains of her latest mouthful to the ground in disgust.

Taylor clung to the edge of the counter, laughing at Yvonne's disgusted expression and the vendors outrage combined. He trailed off into hiccupping giggles, as he turned towards Estela.

"It's simple." The dark haired girl said briskly, holding out an item to a tall Vaanti male wearing a wolf mask. "I give you this bag of seashells, and you give ne something in return. Ready? And... go."

 _"Go."_  The Vaanti repeated with a firm nod, turning on his heel and continuing on his way.

Taylor snickered to himself, clearing his throat as he straightened from the stall and glanced over them all again fondly.  _As they're not having any luck, I guess I oughta try and help._.. He thought, biting his lip when Jake looked over with a raised brow. He moved over to Yvonne, plucking the bag of dried leeches from her reluctant grasp. "Anyone wanna trade for some opaba lisi?" He called, holding the bag high over his head.

"Opaba lisi?  **Koh!"**  Called a male Vaanti, wearing a huge horned ram mask, as he hurried towards him. He removed a wriggling centipede from a pouch at his waist, and offered it to Taylor eagerly.

"Oh, uh..." He said, eyeing the wriggling insect dubiously. "You want to give me  _that..._  in exchange?" He asked, raising his brow curiously.

" **Khalarat ryysa! Tosskal**!" The Vaanti replied eagerly, dropping the centipede into Taylors hand, and happily taking a handful of desiccated leeches from the bag.

"Yes, indeed!" Gurgi said enthusiastically, bowing to the Vaanti in the ram mask as he hurried away eagerly. "Opaba lisi is a powerful aphrodisiac!"

"Huh, go figure." Jake hummed thoughtfully, strolling over with Estela and Yvonne. The pilot watched with obvious amusement, as Taylor grimaced at the wriggling insect on his palm, and hurried over to Gurgi; extending his hand to the trader, before quickly brushing it over his armour.

"You can handle the end of the world, time phones and dried leeches without blinking, but a little wriggler like that, and suddenly you're squeamish?" Jake snickered, raising a brow at him in glee.

" _Shut up_ , okay, it was all creepy and crawly, and wriggly... and  _gross!"_  Taylor complained, shivering in disgust as he scowled at Jake reproachfully.

"Our fearless leader." Estela scoffed dryly, folding her arms over her chest and smirking at Taylor in amusement. Taylor turned his scowl towards her, a waspish and witty rejoinder on his tongue, when he spotted Yvonne; sidling away from the group, and cornering a male Vaanti beside a hut.

"Mmm, I do like a man of mystery..." The pirate purred seductively, walking her fingers up the trunk of his elephant's mask delicately, as she leaned in close. "Perhaps you'll give me a glimpse of your handsome face..?"

"Uh..." The Vaanti hedged, his wide golden eyes giving away his discomfort, as he tried to edge back from the pirate closing in on him.

"An aphrodisiac is about the  _last_  thing she needs." Estela snorted, breaking out in a wide grin, and Taylor gave up on his waspish reply to her teasing to share a knowing chuckle with her.

 _"Ohhh,_  thank you Catalysts!" Gurgi cried, as he settled the wriggling centipede into a drawer. "You've  _saved_  me!" He cried, as Taylor glanced at the still quarter full bag of opaba lisi in his hand.

"Don't thank  _us."_  Estela laughed, smiling brightly over at Taylor, as he wrinkled his nose and feigned a bow.

"That was  _all_  Boy Scout." Jake added, winking at him proudly, as Taylor sniggered and discreetly stuffed the remaining opaba lisi into his bag.

Gurgi pulled out a small bundle wrapped in palm leaves, and placed it on the counter. "The Elyyshar's requested goods." He explained, nudging the small package towards Taylor proudly. "He and his entourage are camped in a hidden inlet, west of the cove." The trader revealed, pointing toward a gap in the cliff face, through which Taylor could see an expanse of beach. "Gurgi needs to finish up here, but perhaps you wouldn't mind delivering the goods to the Elyyshar?"

Taylor stared at the nearby cliff, shocked into immobility. "You're shitting me..." He finally choked, looking back to the merchant in disbelief. "They were just through there..? The whole time?" He balled, his heart swimming in excitement as a huge grin broke out his face. "Come on, everybody!" He called, as he grabbed the bundle and raced for the inlet, with Jake and Estela close behind him.

"I'll be right here, if you need me,  _amis!"_  Yvonne called after them, before turning back to her Vaanti prey. "Now, where were we,  _mon beau mec bleu?_ " She purred, running her fingers down the Vaanti's chest.

"Help..." The elephant mask wearer whispered, shrinking in on himself as he attempted to escape the pirates flirtatious advances.

Taylor huffed in amusement as he glanced back at them, before pushing them from his mind entirely, his heart hammering as his feet slid over the sand.  _Oh my god... So close! The whole time, so close._.! He thought giddily, as he led Jake and Estela on a reckless dash across the sand. They raced through the gao in the cliffs, arriving at a secluded strip of beach with a skid and a stumble. Taylor choked on a hysterical laugh, panting for breath as he saw Diego, Varyyn, Michelle and Raj sitting together in the sand ahead of them. They glanced up when they noticed the groups clumsy arrival, and upon seeing Taylor, they jumped to their feet excitedly.

 _"Taylor!"_  Diego yelled, setting off at a rapid sprint at the same time as Taylor. They collided halfway down the beach in a mess of cheers, laughter and flailing limbs. Diego threw his arms around Taylors shoulders, locking them tightly, as he hugged his friend close. "I  _knew_  you were okay! I  _knew_  you'd find us!" He muttered, grinning widely as he pulled back to examine his friend closely.

"It was kinda touch and go for awhile there..." Taylor hedged, his breath hitching as he slowly exhaled a deep breath, his relief both intoxicating and dizzying in its intensity. The pair bumped fists, and then hips for good measure, snorting with laughter as they finally high fived and fell into another relieved hug.

"It's Taylor!" Raj cried, as if concerned someone might not have noticed his ungraceful appearance in the secluded area. " _It's Taylor!_ " He yelled louder, as he ran over to join them, nearly knocking both Taylor and Diego over as he wrapped his arms around them both. Taylor laughed, his heart swelling with joy, as he looked up at the large boy, who beamed a huge grin down at him.  _"Yeahhhhhh!"_  He cheered, hugging both Taylor and Diego tight enough that he almost lifted them off the ground.

"Taylor, thank goodness..." Michelle sighed, approaching at a more sedate pace than the others, her face a raw depiction of her pain and concern over however long they'd been waiting for some sign of their escape.

"Hey, Michelle..." Taylor said gently, offering her an arm and drawing her into his side, allowing her to hide her tearful face in the side of his neck. "I'm  _so_  pleased to see you guys..." Taylor sighed, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the comfort of their group hug.

"Ah... is this a proper greeting?" Varyyn gasped, eyeing them in fascination, before awkwardly wrapping his arms around the four of them. "It is good to see you Taylor." The Vaanti said warmly, his own relief evident in his smile.

"I missed you guys." Taylor said, grinning and snickering as he heard Jake clear his throat pointedly. He peered out from the centre of the huddle, finding a gap between where everyone was pressed tightly around him, and beamed at his pilot.

 _"Ahem."_  Jake coughed loudly, raising a brow as the others turned towards him. "Estela and I are okay too, just in case you hooligans were wondering." He said sourly, eyeing Taylors amused grin with narrowed eyes.

The group stepped back from Taylor, who pouted at the pilot in accusation, as the others turned towards Jake and Estela. "But... I was a Taylor sandwich..." He said, snickering to himself, as Jake's jaw tightened.

"Dude, you  _literally_  just found us; what the  _hell_  did we do to deserve death by Jake?" Diego whispered furiously, scowling at Taylors giddy expression, before turning towards Jake and Estela with a wide grin.  _"Ha._  Glad you two are alright." He said, his eyes flitting over Jake nervously, as the pilot stomped across the sand to Taylor.

 _"You_  need to calm the hell down." Jake groused, as Taylor threw his arms around him and hugged him close. "I mean, if ya need me to, I can always help ya get rid of some excess energy..." He added, as Taylor giggled.

"They're  _okay."_  He whispered fervently to his pilot, a joyful sigh escaping him as he looked up at the clear sky. "They're  _really_  okay... and  _they're here_!" He giggled, as Jake huffed and held him tightly, stroking his fingertips through the short hairs at the nape of his neck affectionately.

"Hell yeah they are, Boy Scout." The pilot murmured, allowing Taylor another moment to calm himself, before drawing back with a frown. "No more sandwiches, okay?" He said firmly, as Taylor sniggered and bit his lip, waggling his brows suggestively.

"  _Whaaat_  about... You, me and a wall?" He asked playfully, as Jake snorted and shook his head, eyeing him with blatant affection.

"Then that wall better not try anythin'." Jake snarked, as Taylor laughed and drew him into a brief but jubilant kiss.

"Wait." Michelle said suddenly, her face falling once more into concern, as she drew away from a hug with Estela. "Sean was with you guys. Is he..?" She asked, her eyes darting around the beach in case she'd missed him, as her hand rose to her chest. Taylors heart melted, his gleeful near hysteria over finding his friends finally abating, at the tormented grief which flooded the blondes eyes.

"We don't know..." Estela admitted quietly, taking Michelle's hands in her own, as the blonde choked back a sob. "He and Craig went to search along the coast, when we separated to look for Taylor."

"Wait,  _why_  did you have to  _find_  Taylor?" Diego demanded, looking over at him with accusatory wide eyes.

"Fell out the chopper." Taylor confessed guiltily, leaning into Jake's side as he felt the pilot tense at the reminder. "But, I'm totally fine! No injuries! Yvonne found me and gave me mo-  _ahem."_  He cut himself off quickly, pretending not to notice Jake's sudden scowl, as he feigned a small coughing fit. "Hmm, very dry out here. Sandy." He commented roughly, lowering his gaze to rummage through his bag and see if he had any flasks if water remaining.

Diego's shoulders shook with silent laughter, until Varyyn sidled up beside him and wrapped an arm around his waist, raising a concerned brow at his behaviour. "Uh, what about Zahra? And Quinn?" He asked, as Taylor flinched, a wave of cold water rushing over his joyous mood, as he thought about their still missing friends.

Jake seemed to sense his drop in mood, and gently took his hand, squeezing it tightly. "No idea, Short Stuff." He admitted, briefly explaining what had happened, as Taylor looked away and tried to block the words out.

"I've sent my best scouts to locate everyone." Varyyn assured firmly, raising his hand and clenching it into a ball. "If the others can be found, they will find them." He said confidently, as Taylor felt himself twist and tangle with guilt.

"I don't like that  _'if'."_  Michelle said, her arms curling around herself as if defending against the cold.

"Homies," Raj cried, spreading his arms wide as he gestures around them all. "What we need right now, is a dope ass brunch. You can't be anxious, on an empty stomach."

"I'm pretty sure Taylor can be anxious on any stomach..." Jake muttered, drawing a small smile from Taylor, as he squeezed his hand knowingly.

"Ugh, I'm starving..." Diego groaned, pouting as he looked down at his stomach, patting it gently.

"The supplies from the trading post should arrive soon." Varyyn assured, the words stirring some recollection in Taylors mind.

 _"Oh!"_  He gasped, shaking his head as he recalled Gurgi and his small stall. "I almost forgot." He said, pausing and flushing guiltily, as everyone raised a brow at him. "Okay... I  _did_  forget..." He admitted with a snicker, handing over the leaf wrapped bundle to Varyyn, who inspected it briefly, before offering it to Raj.

"Haha!" The large boy cheered, grinning and rubbing his hands together, wiggling his fingers as he reached for the bundle. "The good stuff's finally here!" He said, unwrapping the goods excitedly. "What the..." He choked, pulling only two things from the bundle. "A mango... And a bunch of seaweed?"

"Do  _not_  use that seaweed!" Taylor yelped, as Jake and Estela both laughed, shaking their heads at him. He flushed a deep shade of red, noting it was on fact; different seaweed, not threaded into an unholy garment of clothing.

"Where's the coconut milk?" Raj asked in confusion, glancing around them as if they might be able to tell him. "Where's the spices?" He asked forlornly, ignoring Taylors outburst entirely in his distress.

"Oh, uh..." Taylor hedged, clearing his throat awkwardly as he recalled Gurgi's odd stall. "I guess, that's all he had."

"Tch, it's fine." Raj assured confidently, shrugging his shoulders as he looked between his hands thoughtfully. "I've made feasts with less than this. I'll just..." He paused, his mouth forming the words, but his voice refusing to speak them. "I'll, um... I can..." He said, pausing to stare at the pile of seaweed and meagrely sized mango. His hands began to tremble, fingers curling dangerously around the items, as his face slowly morphed into a furious scowl. He suddenly threw the ingredients down, tossing them uncaringly to the sand _. "I can't make anything with this_!" He yelled, before turning and storming off, walking down the beach at a surprisingly brisk pace.

Varyyn's jaw dropped at the display, having never seen Raj so out of sorts before, as Taylor sighed, staring after his friend with his heart heavy from compassion.

"I think we broke Raj again..." Diego said quietly, staring after the large boy despondently.

"You guys wait here." Taylor said, raising Jake's hand to his lips briefly, before disentangling himself from the pilot. "I'll go check on him." He said, setting off at a rough jog to catch up to Raj, slowing to match his pace once he'd reached him, as they began to walk along the water together. "Hey." Taylor said quietly, glancing up at his friend thoughtfully. "Stupid question inbound, but... you okay?"

As they rounds a rocky outcropping, taylor noticed tears on the large boys eyes. "I'm sorry, Taylor..." Raj sighed, shaking his head as he swallowed heavily. "I can't do it.." He croaked, looking out across the rocks.

"Raj..." Taylor said, laying his hand on the larger boys arm. "You don't need to impress us you know... You're our resident top chef, and that's that." He said warmly, trying to smile encouragingly at his friend, but Raj's blatant hopeless expression was hard to look past.

"I know. It's just..." Raj sighed, running both hands through his hair and gripping it tightly for a moment, before dropping his hands to his sides. "I'm always the one to bring everyone together, to lighten the mood..." He explained, stopping and lowering his gaze to the sand. "I don't... think I can do it now, Taylor." He said, his bottom lip trembling briefly, as his eyes welled with thick tears. "After everything we've seen... I don't think I have it in me anymore."

Taylor felt his heart surge towards the other boy in compassion, wishing there was more he could do to ease his friends suffering. His shoulders stiffened, as a soft green glow filtered onto Raj's face. Taylor swallowed heavily, turning his head slowly as his heart stuttered nervously. He felt a rush of ice down his spine, as his eyes landed on the translucent figure they'd encountered before, standing right next to him; and leaning towards Raj concernedly.  _"You_  again..?" Taylor whispered, his heart seeming to shrivel, as he instinctively flinched away.

Raj's mouth fell open, as he stared in wide eyed disbelief at the vision before him.  _"Ohhh_  god... I'm too sober for this to be happening!" He choked, backing away from the entity.

"What are you?" Taylor asked, his brow creasing as a streak of pain ran through his head like lightning. He shook his head, and looked back at the strange being determinedly. "What do you  _want_  from us?"

The figure suddenly flared with light, seeming to radiate it through the air around them. It offered a leather-bound book to Raj imploringly. "Huh?" Raj choked, pointing at the object incredulously.  _"That's..._  Grandma's recipe book! I thought it got burned up!" He cried, hesitating as he stared at the ghostly being in wide eyed awe. "No, I shouldn't... It's a trap." He whispered, shaking his head wildly as he backed away. " _It's a trap!"_

"Dude, how could  _this_  be a trap?" Taylor huffed, rolling his eyes at his friends dramatic display, pretending he wasn't just as freaked out by the strange being. "It's not a trap... We've seen it before, and it helped Estela. I think... I think, it's trying to help you..." He said slowly, fighting back his own disconcerting feelings, and tentatively reaching forward to accept the salvaged recipe book.

As soon as Taylors fingers closed around the slim volume, the glowing figure was lost in waves on undulating light, and he immediately sighed in relief; the strange and fearful emotions in him fading at last. He looked down at the small book, running his hand over the cover briefly, before looking up to his friend. "Here, Raj." He said softly, smiling at the large boy in warm encouragement. "You'll want to see this." He promises, offering the book out to his friend. Raj accepted the book, and Taylor gasped, as the world disappeared into a white haze.

When the world recreated itself around him, he found himself in an outdoor marketplace. Stalls full of vibrantly coloured produce stretched as far as he could see. He saw Raj, slightly older but certainly not by much, surrounded by a small film crew and cameraman.

"Alright, lets take it again!" Called the director, motioning for people to get themselves ready. "Can I get starting positions?"

"Sorry," Raj sighed, scrubbing his face tiredly with both hands. "Uh, does someone have my coffee?" He asked, peering around blearily.

"Let's get Raj his coffee please!" The director called, giving the large man exactly one minute to drink the hot liquid down, as they prepared the final touches to their masterpiece. "And we're rolling in  _three... two... one..."_  A hush fell over the crew, watching as the sleep deprived Raj before them transformed into a bubbly and lively character Taylor recognized well.

Raj picked up a bundle of leeks, and beamed his brightest smile into the camera. "Hey guys! Raj Bhandarker here." He said cheerfully, throwing in a fond wink for good measure, before gesturing to the colourful stalls around him. "We're outside of one of my favourite outdoor markets in the world, La Boqueria in Barcelona!" He said enthusiastically, tossing the leeks lightly in the palm of his hand. "As most of you know, my cooking is majorly inspired by my buddies from college. That's why I'm here with my bro of bros, Craig Hsaio!"

"Yo!" Craig cheered, as he slid into the camera frame, fist bumping with Raj excitedly. His boyish face had hardly aged, but his aging was visible in the lack of his football jersey, which had replaced by a smart denim jacket over a plain white v-neck shirt.

"You ready to get sickly leeked, dude?" Raj asked, winking as he grinned at his friend eagerly.

Craig's face fell for a moment, confusion creasing his brow. "Ugh, what?" He asked, before understanding suddenly flickered behind his eyes, as a huge and excited grin stole across his face. "Oh! You mean your grandma's chicken and leek curry?" He asked, slapping his hands together before quickly clicking his fingers, and pointing at Raj with an eager nod. "That stuff's  _bomb!"_

"You know it." Raj said with an easy laugh, high fiving his friend quickly, before gesturing to the stalls again. "We're gonna need fresh ginger, a few cinnamon sticks, and, uh..." The large man trailed off suddenly, blinking blankly at the leeks in his hand. "Er..."

"Cut!" The director finally yelled with a sigh, frowning at Raj, as he tried to pull himself together. "You okay, Raj?"

"I'm fine, sorry." Raj called, raising his hand in placation, as he flashed a guilty and apologetic look to the director. "Late night, last night."

"Hey, its not his fault everyone wants to buy the star of  _Bhandarkar Fills Bellies_  a drink!" Craig defended with a snigger, eyeing his friend with a proud smirk.

"Okay..." The director sighed, shuffling through a few pages as they decided what else to try. "Let's... try starting with the interview instead. Ready?" They asked, looking between the pair briefly as they nodded. "And...  _Action!"_  They called, and moments later, Raj turned towards Craig with a huge grin.

"So, broseph!" He said, bumping his shoulder against Craig's affectionately. "I'd ask you what your favourite food is, if I didn't already know your feelings on the subject of fried chicken!"

"Ha!" Craig sniggered, as Raj laughed and gently set his leeks back on the stall he'd plucked them from. "I try to keep it gourmet, you know? Plus, a little szechuan makes everything tastier..." He said, spreading his palms innocently.

Just as Raj was about to reply, his phone began to go off. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen, about to reject the call when he changed his mind suddenly. "Oh, it's Chris!" He gasped, his grin growing as he glanced up at the director and crew apologetically. "Sorry, guys, I gotta take this real quick."

"Like... Chris Winters?" Craig said slowly, staring in wide eyed awe at his friend, as Raj nodded distractedly. " _The movie star_?!" He choked, as the cameraman stopped recording, and Raj lifted his phone to his ear.

"Chris, my boy! S'up?" Raj asked, resulting in a rapid burst of speech from the other end of the phone. "Milan?  _Tonight?_  ... I dunno, man?" Raj said, scratching the back of his neck, as he glanced over at the director and bit his lip indecisively. Another burst of speech caused him to laugh suddenly, and he broke out in a huge grin, seeming to light the entire market with his pride and joy. "Alright, alright, now we're talkin'. It's a deal! See you there, dude!" He said, ending the call and stuffing his phone back into his pocket, as he turned towards the crew.

"Okay, people." The director said eagerly, waving people into positions. "Back to the top." They said, only to freeze suddenly when Raj shook his head.

"Actually, I'm gonna have to cut this short." The large man said, wincing as the director gave an indignant squawk of dismay.

 _"What?!"_  They cried, waving their arms emphatically towards the cameras. "Raj, we've barely got enough footage to work with for the episode!" They protested, frowning as Raj began to chuckle.

"We're about to get a whole lot more." He promised with a wink, cocking his thumb over his shoulder at the market ingredients. "We're gonna take Grandma's curry, to a premiere after party in Milan!" He said, accepting Craig's immediate high five with a laugh.

 _"Whaaaat?_  Hell yeah!" His friend cheered, jabbing Raj in the shoulder with a light and affectionate fist.

"Chris wants me to take over catering." Raj admitted shyly, biting his lip as his cheeks darkened slightly. "He says we can film whatever we want." He added to the director, who was suddenly a flurry of furious activity, hurrying the crew to pack the equipment away and get it loaded for transport. Raj looked over at his friend, raising a brow at him knowingly. "You're comin', right, Craig?"

"Bro, Imma keep living your dream with you; as long as I can!" Craig sniggered, clapping his hand on Raj's shoulder fondly, as he beamed a giant grin at his friend.

The scene was suddenly awash with bright light once again, and as Taylor returned to himself on the beach, he once more felt the great sense of joy and hope he'd felt after Estela had seen a glimpse of her own potential future. He looked up st Raj with a crooked grin, as the large boy stared down at the book in his shaking hands.

"Bu-wha..?" He stammered unintelligibly, raising his wide eyes to Taylors amused ones. "I think I just saw the future, Taylor!" He said in an urgent whisper.

"I think I saw it too." Taylor said with a dry chuckle, enjoying the warmth spreading through his heart. He watched with trepidation as Raj's face fell, the large boy swallowing thickly as he ran his hand lovingly over the recipe book cover.

"In my family, my grandma was the only one who believed in my cooking..." Raj said slowly, huffing a distracted chuckle. "When you're the youngest in a family of nine, it's kinda easy to get left behind... But she was  _always_  there for me, even when I screwed up." He admitted quietly, as Taylor laid his hand on the large boys arm. Raj slowly looked up to meet Taylors concerned gaze, biting his lip as he fought back his emotions. "Do you... really think I could, have my own show? Someday?" He asked in a quiet voice, his fingers carefully folding around the precious memento of his grandmother.

"Raj, you're food is already legendary with us." Taylor said, beaming a wide grin at his friend. "It's only a matter of time before other people catch on!" He laughed, pausing briefly to scratch his ear awkwardly. "Well, that and ya know, saving the world." He added guiltily, as Raj chuckled quietly, thinking things over for himself.

After only a few moments pause, he drew in a deep breath and sighed. "Yeah, you know..." He said, a slow grin spreading across his face. "I think, maybe you're right."

"Pfft,  _maybe?"_  Taylor snorted, buffing his nails against his armour in feigned arrogance. "I'm  _always_  right, Raj." He sneered, before dissolving into giggles, as Raj flipped open the recipe book and took a deep breath.

"Alright, Grandma, let's  _do_  this!" Raj cheered, leafing through the pages excitedly, as they turned and began to slowly make their way back towards their friends. Taylor allowed Raj to dawdle behind him, deeply absorbed in his grandmothers recipe book.

"Everything okay, Julio Child?" Jake asked as they approached, raising a brow at Taylors giddy grin. "What secret stash've  _you_  been dippin' into?" He added quietly, as Taylor wandered happily into his embrace.

"Hmm... Just feel good." He sighed, smiling as he rested his chin on the pilots shoulder, peering at the gentle waves over his shoulder.

"You  _always_  feel good..." Jake assured in a quiet and husky drawl, grinning against Taylors ear and making him snigger as the pilot placed a lingering scratchy kiss just beneath it, and curled his arm around his shoulder.

"You are  _so_  corny sometimes, it's  _ridiculous_  that you can be so endearing and hot at the same time..." Taylor huffed, drawing back to throw the pilot an affectionate grin. Jake winked in reply, his eyebrows dancing suggestively, before leaning down to hide his face against Taylors throat.

"Guys!" Raj cried, looking up from his book, as he finally caught up. Jake groaned, as Taylor laughed, his heart lighter than he expected; surrounded by people he loved, and filled with hope and determination to find the rest. "The X-Files was right...  _the truth is out there!"_  The large boy continued, ignorant of having burst Taylor and Jake's personal bubble of affectionate exchanges.

"You know that was just a tv show, right?" Diego scoffed, folding his arms over his chest as he frowned concernedly at the larger boy.

"Say's the guy who asked Rourke about having Ghostbuster equipment." Taylor snorted, earning himself a betrayed pout and Diego's tongue poked in his direction.

"Raj!" Michelle gasped, her hands raising to but not quite touching Raj's memento of his grandmother. "Where did you get that book?" She demanded, staring up at him in confusion.

"Never mind, doodlejumps!" Raj cheered, raising his arm in the air like a battle flag. "We're goin' back to the market!" He yelled, as he started off at a half run across the slippery sand, heading back towards the gap in the cliffs.

"Come on, everybody!" Taylor laughed, shoving Jake backwards and racing away with a giggle. "After that chef!" He called over his shoulder, as Jake growled and set off after him. Taylor didn't stop, until he was through the gap, where he turned to wink at his pilot with a cheeky grin; who rolled his eyes, shaking his head at Taylors ridiculous and childlike glee.

As they approached the trading post together, Varyyn stopped to look out across the water. Taylor followed his gaze, and noticed several brightly coloured sails bobbing and swaying amid the tide. "Windsurfers." The Elyyshar said, perking considerably, as he watched the colourful sails longingly. "This cove has the best eaves in all of Vaanu." He said proudly, as Taylor flinched briefly, before pushing the discomfort aside and re-focusing on his warm feelings of hope.

"Little do the people of Elyys'tel know, that surfing is their king's true calling." Diego said, beaming a wide and amused grin at the Elyyshar.

 _"You_  are my true calling, Diego.". Varyyn said seriously, turning to gently drag the backs of his fingers across Diego's cheek. His soft words and gesture successfully caused Diego to choke in shock, as he gazed up at the Vaanti with wide eyes, and cheeks which rapidly turned a deep shade of red. "But, windsurfing is also very good." The Elyyshar added, looking back at the sails with an eager grin.

 _"Pff..."_  Diego snorted, running a hand through his hair distractedly, as Taylor hid his grin in his hands and laughed. "You just  _had_  to ruin it, didn't you?" He huffed, beaming a great, fond grin up at Varyyn none the less; as the Vaanti smirked and leaned down to plant a kiss atop Diego's head.

Taylor looked up, as Yvonne strolled over to them. "There you are,  _Mon chers_!" She said cheerfully, winking at the new arrivals to their group. "My masked beau was shier than I'd expected. Though, he was kind enough to give me his sea catch for the day..." She said with a cocky grin, as she tossed a small satchel brimming with oyster shells at Taylors feet.

"Oh,  _sweet!"_  Raj cried, rushing over eagerly. "I should be able to crack these babies open." He said confidently, pulling a rock out of the sand and sitting down next to the satchel.

"Yvonne..." Taylor drawled knowingly, folding his arms over his chest and raising a brow. "Are you sure he  _gave_  you these? You didn't  _take_  them?" He asked, biting his lip as he darted a brief guilty look to his own bag, clearing his throat as he returned his gaze to the pirate.

"My, this  _is_  a beautiful view!" She said warmly, pretending not go hear him and whistling merrily to herself as she stretched, leaving Taylor to short in amusement and shake his head at her fondly.

"Ugh... these are  _tough!"_  Raj growled, struggling to open the oysters. "Where's Sean when ya need him?" He groused, continuing to mutter to himself as he tried to pry the shells apart.

Michelle's expression darkened with distress, and she glanced around for anything to distract her from her troubled thoughts. "Huh." She said at last, her eyes settling on a Vaanti dwelling curiously. "One of the huts is decorated with flowers..."

"It means that the couple who lives there, have been joined by a handfasting." Varyyn explained, a soft smile curling his lips as he gazed at the hut fondly.

"A  _handfasting?"_  Taylor asked, pausing to look over at his friend curiously. He raised a brow, at the soft expression on the Vaanti's face, which only grew as he glanced towards an oblivious Diego.

"In Vaanti society, when two people love each other very much, they may choose to bond their lives together in a ceremony called; Niala'rei." Varyyn explained, smiling warmly as he turned to face Taylor. "Before friends and family, they are symbolically joined and must spend a year and a day in each other's presence." He said, Taylors cheeks flushing with heat as understanding flooded through him. "If they still love one another after that time, their spirits are believed to become one, for all eternity."

Taylor bit his lip as Jake sidled up to him, and placed a hand lightly on his back, the area seeming to radiate with warmth as Taylors heart fluttered at the Vaanti's description. "That's... beautiful." Diego said, unknowingly voicing Taylors own thoughts on the tradition.

"A beautiful  _hell_  perhaps!" Yvonne scoffed, glaring at the huts as if they had personally affronted her.

"How those oysters comin', Cookie?" Jake asked roughly, effectively brushing the soft conversation away, as he cleared his throat loudly. Before Raj could respond however, Taylor heard a chorus of gasps. He turned to see the Vaanti bustling through the trading post, had all stopped to look toward the water.

"He's back!" Gurgi cried in terror, wa ing his arms frantically to the other Vaanti. "Run for your lives!" He advised, as Taylor found a vantage point and raced forward, looking out across the sea as his jaw dropped.

"Diego..." He asked slowly, waving his friend over blindly. "Dude... Am I seeing things, or..."

"Is that a... pirate ship?" Diego gasped, as Taylor sighed and wiped his brow in relief.

"Oh good, it's not just me..." He huffed, shaking his head good naturedly, as the others ran over to join them. "I thought for a minute all the head trauma had caught up to me..." He mused, staring at the great galleon in awe. It's white sails billowed in the breeze, the jolly roger flying atop the mast proudly. The cannons were most memorable though, gleaming as they aimed directly towards the cove.

"... Malatesta." Yvonne growled, her lip curling in disgust, as she glared at the pirate ship hatefully. "You  _bastard."_  She snarled, as cannonballs began to fly toward the Vaanti dwellings, trailing arcs of smoke.

"Look out!" Estela cried, as Taylor gasped, when a hut next to him shattered apart, raining down sharp flinders. He dropped to his knees, and shielded his head with his forearms. Seconds later the debris struck him, only to slide away harmlessly. Estela rushed over to help him up, her hands gripping his shoulder tightly once she saw he was unharmed.

"Good thinking, Taylor!" Diego cried, as he rushed over, with Michelle, Raj and Jake close behind.

"I'm glad someone around here has a clear head." Michelle snorted, gesturing towards the Vaanti in the area, all running for the cliffs. Jake stepped close to Taylor assessing him quickly for injury. When Taylor gripped his hand firmly, reassuring him of his safety, the pilot surveyed the area with sharp eyes.

"Go...  _Go!"_  The Vaanti cried, their screams mingling together into a great crescendo of sound, all of which paled, in comparison to the sound of cannon fire.

Taylor turned slowly, observing the rapidly fleeing Vaanti with his heart racing from disbelief, when his eyes happened upon Gurgi. The merchant was frantically gathering up his goods, trying to protect his wares from the attack. "You'd better get out of here, Catalysts." He warned, glancing up from beneath his angry looking mask. "He's coming to-" The Vaanti trader was interrupted by a loud think, coming from the side of his stall.  _"Ack!"_  He cried, as a harpoon lodged into the wood, connected to a zip line; upon which someone was gliding over the water from the ship.

"Is it the caped crusader?!" Raj cried, his eyes wide as the figure kicked up their feet, sailing quickly through the air towards the shore.

 _"Please_  be Christian Bale, not Ben Affleck..." Diego chanted, peeking up at Varyyn guiltily when the Vaanti raised a brow at him. Their attention was stolen however, as a broad shouldered man with short blonde hair, beard and moustache, hopped to the sand beside Gurgi's stall. His long coat swished around him, and Taylor rolled his eyes, practically able to hear Diego's excited swoon, as the action was every bit as impressive as the countless movie stunts had made it seem.

Yvonne strode towards him angrily, her hand resting lightly upon her hip, the cutlass hilt just behind it; quickly accessible, should things deteriorate. "Look what crawled out of the cesspools!" She snarled, scowling at him ferociously.

"Well,  _well,"_  the blonde man sneered dismissively, his thick accent turning his voice to a heavy drawl. "If it weren't my  _least_  favourite ghost!" He chuckled, before his amused expression twisted into a hateful scowl. "Now, stand aside... unless you're ready to return to the grave."

"Hey!" Taylor yelled, drawing the newcomers attention. "What the  _hell's_  going on here?" He demanded, strolling forward and jabbing the pilot in the chest.

"Parley's just finishin' up." The blonde man sneered, his eyes flicking to the market stalls. "Now, it's time to take what's mine." He growled, as he pulled a wheel lock pistol from his belt.

"Malatesta, you  _scabrous bilge eel!_ " Yvonne snarled, scowling at the blonde man in disgust. "I'm not about to let you sack this place!"

"These people live peacefully here." Varyyn said, scowling at the newcomer in determination. "You will  _not_  harm them." He declared forcefully, as Diego laced his hand into the Vaanti's nervously.

"... Malatesta?" Taylor said quietly, frowning as he thought about the familiar name, and gasping when realization struck. "You mean this is your old captain, who made you walk the plank?"

"The very same." Yvonne said lowly, narrowing her eyes as she drew her own pistol quickly, only for Malatesta to blast it from her grasp with a rapid shot, sending it tumbling across the sand.

 _"Missed._  Was aiming at yer head." He drawled, gazing at Yvonne with a malicious crooked grin. "Second time's the charm, eh?"

 _"Stop!"_  Taylor yelped, raising his hands in placation, as Malatesta turned towards him with a raised brow. "There's nothing of value here!" He attempted to persuade the pirate, wincing when Gurgi's head shot up from under his counter.

"How dare you!" Demanded the Vaanti trader, his angry frog mask srening to blaze brighter shades of orange and red in his fury.

"That's a little harsh, Taylor." Diego rebuked, shaking his head sadly, as he frowned over at him.

"Gurgi works night and day, to supply his shop with... With..." Gurgi paused, his chest heaving with deep breaths, as he tried to find the words.  _"Nothing!_  Gurgi has nothing!" He finally wailed, throwing aside his armload of salvaged goods in despair.

"You don't gotta tell  _us_  twice." Raj snorted, eyeing the display with amusement, his recipe book clutched safely under his arm.

"You see?" Taylor demanded, stepping between Malatesta and the Vaanti dwellings and stalls. "Are you really gonna try to  _kill_  people, over fruit and seashells?!" He demanded, as Malatesta reloaded his pistol.

"I  _said,_  talkin's  _done!"_  The pirate growled, levelling the gun at Taylor, who glared back at the pirate stubbornly and refused to move. "Out of my way!" He demanded, his finger inching toward the trigger.

 _"Raaaaaggghh!"_  Yvonne growled, running headlong at Malatesta and launching herself at him, tackling him into the surf.

"Taylor... We've talked about this..." Jake groaned, scrubbing his hand over his face as he looked down to see Taylor flinch, and offer him a sheepish grin.  _"Please_  stop doing this stepping into danger shit..." The pilot sighed, as Taylor bit his lip and raised his hand tentatively.

"Scout's honour?" He offered weakly, his heart fluttering in residual fear as well as warmth, as Jake sighed again and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, drawing him closer.

Jake conceded to drop the subject at that, and the pair turned to watch with growing amusement, as Yvonne and Malatesta wrestled and boxed furiously in the sand, neither one gaining the upper hand. "Five bucks says Blondie wins."

 _"Jake!"_  You shouldn't bet on this sort of thing!" Taylor scolded, swatting his arm, as he watched in rapt attention, at the way Yvonne fought back against Malatesta's grueling attacks. "Raise it to ten, and your on." He added quietly, snickering when Jake barked a surprised laugh and squeezed his shoulders affectionately.

"Ugh, I can't watch..." Diego groaned, hiding his face against Varyyn's shoulder. "They're like bloodthirsty animals on National Geographic."

"That's it!" Gurgi cried from the safety of his stall, peering over the counter and shaking his fist at Yvonne encouragingly. "Give him a good throttling!" He cheered.

Taylor watched on in amusement, as the pair exhausted themselves, until finally; chests heaving from their exertions, the two pirates resorted to bickering. "You  _always_  thought you were better at everything..." Malatesta sneered, wiping a bloody lip over his sleeve.

"I  _am_  better!" Yvonne retorted hotly, scowling at the blond pirate, as she panted for breath. "You, pox ridden guttersnipe!" She huffed, spitting at his feet, as she tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. "You remember what you told me, on the coast of Barbados? That  _you_  were the greatest wave rider? You were  _wrong._  It was  _I_  who was the best!"

" _Tell it to my arse!_ " Malatesta scoffed, shaking his head with a derisive snort. "You're a wave rider like a cabin boy's a first mate!" He snarked, pointing across the cove. "You see those columns over there? I'd bet my ship, ye couldn't get a group around the lot of them in less than an hour's time."

Yvonne's lip curled into a predatory grin, her stance shifting to a seductive curve of her hips, as she smirked over at the pirate captain. "What did you say?" She purred, her fingers curling beneath her chin.

 _"I said_ , I bet my ship ye can't..." The captain began in a rough snarl, before suddenly seeming to realize what he was saying; and to who. "Er, never mind." He said sheepishly,his cheeks staining pink in embarrassment.

 _"Oho!"_  Yvonne cheered, wagging her fingerback and forth at him, as she grinned ferally. "You can't get out of it now, you leprous barrel monkey! You're on!" She cheered gleefully, prowling along the beach towards him.

 _"Arrrr..."_  Malatesta growled, kicking the sand in irritation, his hands on his hips as he paced for a moment.  _"Fine,_  ye fork tongued scalamagdrion!" He agreed, though he stepped towards her with a finger raised threateningly. "But, come back in more than an hour, and I get every last plantain and filbert out of that stall, understand?!" He demanded, scowling at Varyyn briefly before shaking his head in frustration. "Blasted blue elves owe me, after what they dud to me crew... And, if your friends even  _try_  to stop me, I'll blast this place sky high!"

 _"What?!"_  Gurgi cried, slashing his arms through the air emphatically, as he shook his head rapidly. "No! No deal!"

 _"Bon._  The wager is accepted." Yvonne said proudly, ignoring Gurgi entirely, as she threw her old captain a coy look. "And... Since I get to choose a condition as well, I select Taylor ti represent me in the test of skill." She said formally, as Taylor spluttered, his amusement at their exchange abruptly disappearing.

"Wait,  _what?!"_  He yelped, looking out at the cove dubiously.  _"Me?_  ... Windsurfing?" He clarified, shaking his head and stepping back. "Oh, no _, no, no_ -" he began, as Yvonne straightened her hat and jacket, before stalking over to him.

 _"Oui,_  for a ship!" She said loudly, winking pointedly, as he scowled back at her. "A ship, that will help us find your friends!" She said loudly, before leaning closer to whisper in his ear. "The fact is, he's right... I'm a  _horrible_  surfer."

"But then,  _why_  would you..." Taylor yelped, groaning as the pirate chuckled and patted his shoulder affectionately.

"Tricks of the trade,  _Mon Ami_!" She said with a great grin, winking at him encouragingly. Taylor pouted, glaring at Yvonne balefully, as Malatesta pulled out a small hourglass from his pocket. He trudged over to the other side of the cove, with Taylor and the others following close behind.

 _"Woooo!"_  Raj cheered, clapping his hands together, as he wove his way down the beach excitedly. "It's  _on!"_

"Oh boy... What have I gotten into  _now?"_  Taylor groaned, gazing out at the columns in nervous anticipation. "Why is it always  _me..?"_  He grumbled to himself, as he began to unstrap his armour.

"Taylor; If you're looking for speedy maneuvering, Jake's your dude." Raj advised, grinning as he nudged Jake fondly, almost sending him sprawling to the sand in his excitement. "He was the one who killed it in that jet ski race!"

 _"Was_  he?" Michelle asked, raising a brow as she shook her head. "Taylor's going to need stamina and control, not speed. Those pillars are scattered way out. Estela's the obvious choice."

"Guys,  _hello?"_  Diego said, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair and pointed towards the Elyyshar. "Varyyn understands the area better than anyone. He's been coming to this cove for years!"

"I feel you've all overlooked something very important..." Taylor said, frowning as he stripped off the last of his armour and shirt, having deftly switched his armour leggings for swimming trunks while they'd been busy bickering. "I recall no jet ski race." He said, laughing as they groaned, having been expecting something serious from him. He laughed, as he watched Yvonne grab an unclaimed surfboard and began hoisting its single, red sail. She then repeated the procedure, this tine for a board with a blue sail.

"So, who will it be, Taylor?" Yvonne asked, standing between the two surfboards, a hand on each to keep their sails upright.

Taylor waggled his eyebrows, as he shimmied and hopped his way down the sand, before finally bumping his hip against Jake's with a giggle. "Whaddya say, Top Gun?" He asked, dancing on his toes, as his excitement built at the thought of being back on the water with his pilot.

Jake snorted and shucked off his jacket, tossing it to Raj before he pulled his shirt off over his head. Taylor stopped dancing, biting his lip as he raised both brows, enjoying the show as his pilot revealed more skin. "Looks like it's time to get wet." The pilot said, beaming a wide grin at Taylor, who flushed at having been caught staring. Jake threw an arm around his shoulders and led him over to the surfboards.

"You've got  _one hour_  to make it around the farthest pillar, and back." Malatesta groused, eyeing them suspiciously. "A breath longer, and it's time to pay up, or get  _blown up..._  Go!" He barked, scowling as he flipped the hourglass, and slammed it down on the sand.

Jake and Taylor grabbed the sails on their boards, and started running into the water. "Alright, climb up!" Jake called once they were deep enough, grinning over with a wink, as he got on his board and angled his sail backward.

Taylor laboriously hoisted himself onto his own board, and grabbed the ring attached to the sail, allowing the wind to immediately launch him forward.  _"Whoa!"_  He gasped, the speed taking his breath away, before he began to laugh joyfully. He watched as Jake's powerful frame allowed him to fully harness the wind, hurtling across the water, and guiding Taylor on the quickest path ahead. "Stay close, and we'll be home in time for supper, Boy Scout." Jake assured, throwing him a grin over his shoulder.

"Only if you can keep that up!" Taylor sniggered, eliciting a cocky wink from the pilot. As they approached the first set of columns, a huge wave came crashing through the area, and they found themselves forced towards the cliffs. In the water below, Taylor saw a school of fish dart forward, riding the powerful current. "Jake, use the added momentum!" He called, steering his board to follow the fishes example. "Let's give it all we've got!" He cheered, laughing as Jake waggles his brows at him.

"What floats your boat, floats my boat, Boy Scout." The pilot said, winking as he flashed him a broad grin. Together, the two of them angled their sails backward, and surged along the cliffside.

Carefully, they made their way through the jagged spurs of rock, and it wasn't long before the final column came into view. "You know, I could show off my fine ass surfing skills here... But, I kinda really want that ship now..." Taylor said, as he rounded the pillar carefully, and started back toward the shore.

"Boy Scout, you can show me your fine ass anytime, just so long as no one else can see it!" Jake snorted, and Taylor laughed, rolling his eyes at his pilots selective hearing. As the two of them wound their way through the colonnade, something fell from a rock outcropping, and landed on Taylors sail.

"What the heck is..." He began, frowning as he looked up to find a large black spider, crawling down the sail fabric.  _"Ahhhhhh!"_  He yelped, jerking back instinctively, and hurrying to correct his trajectory when he moved the sail slightly.

"Good gravy!" Jake choked, eyeing the spider nervously, between glances at his path. "Keep cool, Boy Scout, he probably just... wanted a ride or something..."

Taylor scowled at the spider, refusing to be some kind of insect's Noah's Ark. " _Get off my boat!"_  He demanded, reaching up and closing his hand around something which turned out not to be soft and tickly, but metal. He glanced at it, and noticed mechanical limbs, and a tiny camera where the arachnids head should have been. "That's...  _not_  what I expected!" He gasped, hearing a crunch as his tight grasp broke the devices delicate machinery.  _"Oops."_  He said, wincing guiltily, as he peeked down at the broken spider camera. "Welp, guess I'll keep it, in case it comes in handy somehow later..." He said, closing his hand around the crushed machinery again, as he did his best to lean his sail into the wind, gunning for the shore. Finally, he and Jake glided smoothly onto the beach.

At the other side of the cove, several Vaanti had stopped what they were doing to watch their race. Taylors friends began cheering uproariously, as he and Jake jogged over eagerly. "Damn!" Raj cried, pumping the air with both fists excitedly. "Did you guys see Taylor and Jake out there? They were like a couple of those, walks-on-water lizards!"

Taylor huffed an amused laugh at the large boys description, as he rushed over to Malatesta, trying to catch a glimpse of the hourglass. "There's still sand running through it!" He gasped, turning and throwing his arms around Jake's shoulders in joyful disbelief. "We  _did_  it!" He cheered elatedly, as Jake smiled and drew him into a brief, but passionate kiss of victory.

"... No." Malatesta said quietly, his disbelief obvious, as he stared in horrified dejection, at the remaining sand in the hourglass.

"... Oui." Yvonne chortled smugly, tossing her hair over her shoulder, as she squinted and beamed a wide grin at her former captain.

 _"No, no, no! You cheating little wench_!" Malatesta roared, his fury clear, as he violently kicked the hourglass away and sent sand flying all around them.

"I believe you mean, 'respectable ship captain',  _Cheri."_  Yvonne hummed playfully, sidling closer to the blond, as she grinned smugly. "Now,  _say_  the words."

"I  _won't."_  Malatesta snarled viciously, scowling at her with such a hateful expression that Taylor thought he might actually burn a hole right through her.

"Say them, or I'll tell  _everyone_  from here to Tortuga-" Yvonne threatened, her words hanging unfinished, as her former captain raises his hands in placation.

 _"Fine!"_  He snarled, cutting her off before he swallowed heavily, his face falling dramatically. "The Dorado... is  _yours."_

 _"Hahaa!"_  Yvonne cheered, twirling in place as she removed her hat in a flamboyant caricature of a bow. She looked up at Taylor and the others with a wide grin, and winked at them in warm encouragement. "Make whatever preparations you need, amis! We depart at dusk!" She declared, before moving away with Malatesta to go and check on the Dorado.

Jake grinned down at Taylor fondly, his thumb trailing across his jaw briefly, before he moved away to collect his shirt and jacket. Taylor bit his lip as he watched him go, desire weaving into his heart, as a deep rush of love and affection overwhelmed him. He sighed as the rest of the group dispersed to get ready for the voyage, though Diego and Varyyn remained behind with him.

"I guess we're gonna be a pirate crew!" Diego exclaimed excitedly, his joyful grin warming Taylors heart and driving it to overflow with affection. "Can't say I'm complaining!" He sniggered, as Taylor hummed, and rooted through his bag for a shirt; feeling too lazy to bother refitting his armour.

"If everything works out, maybe we'll find the others sooner this way..." He said thoughtfully, smiling at the memory of himself and Jake hurtling across the water, before pulling on his shirt.

"Taylor," Varyyn said, snapping him from his thoughts, with his serious tone of voice. "You have my deepest gratitude, for solving this conflict peaceably. I'll make sure my scouts know where we're headed. They will inform Uqzhaal and Seraxa, of my extended absence." The Vaanti king said, unknowingly casting Taylor in ice, as Diego ignored them both; looking towards the sunset, which was already nearing the shining horizon.

"Varyyn... I, uh..." Taylor hedged, his heart sinking at the thought of having to explain the shaman's feelings of betrayal. "There's something I have to tell-"

"Gonna be another beautiful sunset..." Diego sighed wistfully, before suddenly turning towards Taylor with eyes wide in awe.  _"Ohmygod,_  Taylor!"

"Oh my god,  _what,_  Diego?" He asked with a dramatic sigh, his confession forgotten in the face of his friends obviously barely contained excitement.

"Have you been up into the hills yet?!" Diego demanded, as Taylor glanced in the direction he pointed, raising a brown as he slowly shook his head.

"Dude, we literally only got here in the early hours of this morning... We came to find you as soon as we played 'Sell It' for Gurgi..." Taylor said, shaking his head as Diego practically skipped on the spot in his eagerness.

"Varyyn showed me this spot, where you can see for  _miles_  out to see..!" Diego said excitedly, pointing to a secluded hilltop, thickly covered in soft, swaying grass.

"A very special place, that." Varyyn agreed, as Taylor glanced between them, a suspicious grin curling his lips upwards. "The view of the sunset is... inspiring."

"You should totally take Jake up there, while we've got a couple of hours to kill." Diego encouraged, making shooing motions with his hands, as Taylor laughed and swatted them away.

"Especially if you would like him to fall in love with you." Varyyn added, as Taylor broke out in a goofy grin, recalling the pilots words from the night before they'd infiltrated  **MASADA.**

"Wow, matchmaker much, guys?" He snorted, his eyes dancing between them, as he raised a brow. "Is that why you took Diego up there, Varyyn?" He asked slyly, laughing when the pair both spluttered indignantly. "Ha, reap what you sow; assbutt's." He sniggered, looking away from their awkwardly embarrassed expressions.

In the distance, he noticed Jake, sitting alone in a secluded part of the cove. With a grin, he moved away from Diego and Varyyn, leaving them both red faced as he slowly approached his pilot. Once close enough, he slipped behind Jake and wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling his lips against his neck affectionately.

"Hello to you  _too,_  Boy Scout." Jake snickered fondly, his hands rising to cover Taylors before his chest, as he grinned over his shoulder at him.

"So," Taylor said lowly, leaning close as he smirked against the pilots shoulder. "There's this secluded hilltop over there, and a gorgeous sunset..." He explained, planting a soft kiss to the back of the pilots neck, before whispering against his ear. "I was wondering, if you wanted to join me."

Jake grinned mischievously over his shoulder, as his eyes flicked over Taylor suggestively. "Is, uh, clothing  _optional?"_  He hedged lightly, his tone playful, though his clear eyes lit with desire.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, smiling as he pretended to consider for far longer than he needed to. "It  _could_  be..." He finally whispered, his heart skipping a beat in excitement.

Jake tilted his head to brush his lips inches from Taylors, his clear eyes blazing as he looked back at him. "After  _you."_  He said, beaming a wide grin at him, as Taylor took his hand gently, and led him over to the bottom of the hill.

They hiked their way up the hill together, a deep sense of anticipation building in Taylors gut, which he could only guess the pilot felt too; from the heated glances they exchanged. As they approached a steep incline, Jake leapt it deftly, before turning back and offering his hand to Taylor with a playful smile. "Remember the last time we went hiking together?" He asked quietly, a huge grin on his face, as he recalled their impromptu climbing session.

"My god... " Taylor laughed, "that feels like  _forever_  ago..." He said, as he took the pilots hand in his own, his heart fluttering at the way their fingers naturally laced together.

"Time's so weird on this island, maybe it  _was."_  Jake snorted, shaking his head at the strange island they found themselves living on.

"I'm glad there's no rock climbing on this one, though." Taylor said, as he pulled himself over the incline by Jake's grip, pressing himself against Jake briefly. "I have a feeling, we'll need our energy for the top." He added, shooting him a coy wink, before darting past him.

When he finally reached the top a short time later, he immediate felt himself go breathless. "Oh my god..." He gasped, as he stared out in awe. The sky was an endless palette of pastel pink, orange, and purple; swirling around the sinking sun. He stepped forward to find the sea glistened beneath the bath of light, the water a dark and sultry contrast to the colours reflected on its surface. "I've never seen something more beautiful in my life..." He breathed in awe.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Jake drawled quietly, and Taylor looked round, to realize the pilot had been staring at him the whole time. Jake stepped closer, seeming to watch how the sunset reflected across Taylors eyes, from the intensity they were locked onto him.

Taylor grinned shyly, peeking up at the pilot from beneath his lashes as he took a playful step back. "I'd look better kissing you..." He said, dissolving into a snicker, as he raised a brow at the pilot suggestively. "I mean, you've  _seen_  yourself, right?" He asked, knowing he was only inflating the pilots ego, but unable to stop himself.

Jake's smile widened, as he took another step closer to Taylor. "What's a pair of good looking people, on a romantic, sunlit cliff to do?"

"Oh..." Taylor hedged, walking his fingers up Jake's jacket sleeve's slowly. "I have a few ideas..." He said playfully, closing the distance between them to press his lips to Jake's. The pilot kissed back eagerly, his hands slipping around Taylors waist to explore his body. Jake's lips quickly filled with urgency, as his arms curved around Taylor and pulled him close. He slowly began to trail hungry kisses down Taylors jaw and neck, as Taylor gasped, and looked up at the colourful sky to give him more access.  _"Jaaaakeee..!"_  He breathed, his heart skipping a beat, as Jake's stubble scratched lightly at his collarbone, both tickling and arousing.

The pilot pulled back up to knock his forehead against Taylors, biting his lip, as his hands tugged gently at the hem of Taylors shirt. "Boy Scout," he panted thickly, his eyes searching Taylors for signs of refusal. "Do you want to..." He hedged, unusually shy about voicing his desires.

"Hmm, I guess this is enough..." Taylor hummed, laughing at Jake's surprised expression. "For some people... But  _not_  me." He clarified, his fingers curling into Jake's shirt. "I want." He confirmed, stealing a hungry kiss from the pilot.  _"Right now."_  He said eagerly, a wide grin forming, as he shoved Jake's jacket down his arms and tossed it behind them.

"Good." Jake murmured huskily, as he wrapped his arms around Taylor, and tumbled to the grass; pulling Taylor down with him. "Also, that was evil. Remind me to be mad at you...  _later."_  He said quickly, before his mouth sealed itself eagerly against Taylors.

With their bodies pressed together firmly, Taylor kissed Jake deeply, his heart racing as he swung his leg over his pilots waist and straddled him. His hands worked as fast as he could move them, pulling the pilots shirt over his head, before he sank back to the ground. He leaned down and kissed his way along Jake's throat, following the curve of his shoulder; while Jake quickly worked to remove Taylors shirt, groaning as bare chest pressed to bare chest at last.

"Mmm..." Taylor groaned rocking himself against Jake, his lips finding the pilots as desire coursed through him. Gasping for breath between deep and urgent kisses, Taylors hands fumbled at the pilots belt, much to his amusement. "In a rush there, Boy Scout?" He drawled thickly, watching with smoldering eyes as Taylor finally managed to make his fingers work the buckle the right way.

He paused, looking up at Jake with a raised brow and a wide grin. "Are you asking me to slow down?" He asked slyly, his fingers curling over the pilots waistband to brush the hard flesh beneath teasingly.

"Not at all..." Jake groaned, his eyes locked onto Taylors as he dipped low to kiss the pilots chest, slowly trailing downwards. He grazed his teeth against Jake's hip briefly, before finally tugging Jake's trousers and boots free, discarding his own remaining clothing with them quickly. As soon as they were gone, he felt Jake's hands on his hips, pulling him down towards him. Taylor braced his hands in the grass over Jake's shoulders, as he arched himself against the pilot, and sank into another hungry kiss.

He laid down over Jake, stretching in the sunlight under the pilots eager caresses, as a sea breeze wafted over them; cooling his rapidly overheating body. He groaned, as he rocked his hips against the pilots, relishing the friction between their erections. He arched his body away from Jake's, his heart racing as he tore his lips from the pilots and sat up, taking a deep breath to try and clear the lustful haze from his mind. "Hhhmm..." He gasped, tipping his head back as he rocked his ass over Jake's cock, desire flooding through him. He repeated the motion, groaning at the sensations of heat and longing which pulsed through him, as Jake's hands ghosted over his ass, to grip his hips tightly.

Taylor looked down, to find the pilot transfixed, staring at him in blatant awe. He glanced at himself, to see the sherbet colours of the sinking sun, had painted themselves across this each and every curve. He raised his eyes to the pilots again and smiled, watching as Jake's expression seemed to melt in response.

"Taylor..." Jake murmured, his breath catching as Taylor slowly rocked himself over Jake's cock, his hand slipping down to guide the pilot into him. Jake stared up at him hungrily, his hands running over Taylors hips, as he began to rise and fall slowly.

Taylor watched Jake's expressions melt together, as he set an unhurried pace for his body, sighing in contentment as Jake's hips began to move with him. "Jake..." He murmured, his back arching as a wave of pleasure coursed up his spine, making him shiver; despite being far from cold.

Taylor groaned, his body thrumming with pleasure as he slid his hands over Jake's, encouraging the pilot to touch him more. He bit his lip, as he reached down to palm his own cock briefly, before gasping and gripping the base tightly. He looked down at meet Jake's intense cerulean eyes, as they began to move together more urgently. As their rhythm increased, Taylor felt his body begin to tense with pleasure, and his jaw fell slack, as he tried to stave off his orgasm; desperately wanting to savour the moment.

Jake's eyes rolled back in his head, as he lost himself in the sensation of Taylor clenching sporadically around him, his fingers digging into his hips briefly, before quickly soothing the area. "Oh," he choked, his hands sliding higher up Taylors sides, encouraging him down so he could steal an impassioned kiss.  _"Taylor..."_  He murmured urgently, rolling suddenly to pin Taylor beneath him, his legs leaning against the pilots chest. His hips moved faster against Taylor, as he kissed Taylors throat with an almost desperate sense of desire.

Taylor gasped at the shift in angle, his body coiling with heat, as Jake overwhelmed his body with pleasure which swirled from deep within his heart and his gut. He watched as the darkening orange glow, highlighted the pilots chiseled figure, and he bit Jake's shoulder lightly to keep from screaming with the maddening waves of pleasure which consumed him. His fists gripped the grass below them tightly, as they moved together with an increasing sense of desperation.

"Don't stop..." He whispered quietly, as Jake thrust into him almost urgently, groaning as he nipped Taylors throat in warning. " _Don't stop_!" Taylor pleaded louder, desperately trailing kisses over the pilots shoulder, as the heat in his gut swirled to a crescendo he knew he couldn't prevent. "Don't -  _ahhhh!"_  He cried, his hands rising to clutch at the pilots shoulders, drawing him closer, as his body came undone beneath him.

Taylor gasped, as he felt Jake stiffen against him, closing he eyes and softly kissing along the pilots shoulder; as he felt Jake's cock pulse within him. Their bodies quivered together, as Taylors cried echoed down the cliff face and out to sea.  _"Jake..."_  Taylor whispered, his fingers threading through the pilots hair, as Jake drew back and kissed him briefly.

Satisfied and sweaty, Jake carefully returned to Taylors side, nuzzling close to him in the grass. As they caught their breath, fingers trailing over each other in idly affection, a breeze blew by and caused Taylor to shiver lightly. Jake smiled softly and grabbed his jacket, wrapping around taylor like a blanket.

"So..." Taylor huffed, shooting his pilot a cocky wink as he shifted onto his side. "How 'bout that sunset, huh?" He asked, snickering at Jake's amused hum.

"It's pretty great, Boy Scout." Jake admitted, his hand rising to gently brush Taylors sweaty hair from his brow, as he broke out in a beautiful smile. "But it's great, because I get to share it with  _you."_

"What can I say?" Taylor giggled, wiggling his eyebrows as he followed Jake's collarbone with his fingertip. "I have a great co-pilot. Really makes a difference."

Taylor knew he'd made a huge mistake as soon as he'd said it, for at the word 'co-pilot', Jake's gaze turned distant. The pilot seemed to look through him, rather than at him. "... Jake? You okay?" He asked tentatively, though he could already see he wasn't.

"We should, uh..." Jake said, coughing as he moved away from Taylor, his eyes firmly averted from him. "We should go back." The pilot said quietly, noticeably working to avoid looking Taylors direction at all, as he grabbed his trousers and boots.

"Wait,  _what?!"_  Taylor cried, his heart racing nervously. He scrambled to his knees, watching in horror as Jake continued to avoid his gaze. He felt all the warmth and affection they'd just shared disappear, and his heart ached at the loss, as he worried his lip between his teeth anxiously.

"Don't wanna climb down in the dark, right?" Jake said stiffly, as he moved to get up. Taylor was suddenly consumed by fear, and he reached out desperately, catching the pilots arm in his hand.

"Jake,  _please,_  talk to me!" He pleaded, staring at his pilots closed expression and desperately trying to catch his gaze. "You're not telling me what's wrong..." He pressed gently, rubbing his hand over Jake's arm confortingly.

"Nope." Jake said, deliberately popping the p how Diego had told him it irritated Taylor, trying to avert his attention. "Was hoping to avoid that." He sighed when his attempt failed, looking out at the horizon.

Taylor felt a bitter sting of rejection, and he slowly retracted his hand, his eyes clouding with pain as he shook his head at the pilot. "Don't you trust me, Jake?" He asked quietly, his throat constricting tightly. "What's going on?" He asked gently, pleading with the pilot to confide in him.

Jake sighed, reluctantly turning to meet Taylors eyes. At first, Taylor could only see a glazed over expression, until pain and guilt cracked through. " _Because I'm not good to my co-pilots, alright_?!" He finally fumed, as Taylor lowered his gaze, his heart stinging at the realisation that Jake's thoughts had been somewhere else; with some _one_  else. "Everyone I care about's been hurt because of me." Jake said, swallowing thickly as he gazed emptily over colourful waves beneath them. Taylor pushed aside his own feelings and looked up at Jake in concern, his heart breaking at the pilots obvious struggle. "Whether I run or fight,  _something_  happens, and I..." He trailed off and exhaled hard, his eyes searching the horizon, as if it had the answers he desperately needed.

Taylor slid his hand into Jake's, curling his fingers with the pilots tightly before raising it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of his hand. Jake swallowed heavily, his breath hitching as he tried to hold back the emotions clamouring within him. "... I love you  _so much_ , Taylor." He said quietly, causing Taylor to drop his hand in surprise, his heart skipping a beat from the sudden confession. He bit his lip, immediately feeling guilty for his burst of jealousy, as Jake shook his head and sighed. "I want to give you the best life I can... But, when I think of everything I've had to do to survive the last few years, I just-" Jake pulled his arms up to his knees, his hands rising to fidget with his hair nervously. "You don't deserve to deal with that... To deal with  _me."_

Taylor watched with torn emotions, as Jake's head sank to stare at his feet, his expression despondent. He was deeply concerned for his pilot, and desperately wanted to help chase away the mans fears; but he was also awash with a giddy joy, his heart racing at the pilots confession. He bit his lip, and laid his hand on Jake's shoulder. "Hey." He said quietly, squeezing the pilots shoulder gently. "I think _I_  get to decide what I deserve." He said firmly, smiling softly as Jake's eyes snapped up, unsure. "We've been through more together, than anyone else in this world could understand." Taylor said gently, his hand slowly gliding over the pilots shoulder to his neck, fingers brushing the skin lightly. "By all accounts, we should be dead, insane; or both." He huffed, grinning crookedly as Jake snorted in agreement. "But... Whenever things got tough;  _you_  were there. When I didn't know what to do,  _you_  did." He said, a huge smile blossoming on his lips, as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against Jake's temple. "Given all we're facing, I can't think of  _anyone_  else I'd want to have by my side right now..." He whispered in the pilots ear, brushing a brief kiss over his cheek, before drawing away.

Taylor watched as Jake remained silent for a long pause, his heart hammering, as he desperately hoped that his words had sunk in. Finally, a small, but genuine smile curved on Jake's lips. Taylor let free a tiny, near hysterical giggle of relief, as Jake's arms snaked around him, pulling him closer. Jake kissed him gratefully, his lips and tongue caressing Taylors with unhurried affection, as his hands slowly massaged against Taylors waist.

"You're something else, you know that?" Jake murmured, when he finally released Taylor from his kiss, beaming a huge grin at him.

"It's been mentioned..." Taylor hummed, his relief palpable as he held Jake close against him. "I try." He sniggered, frowning as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, quickly giving way to night. "I guess we better join the others... We'll be leaving for the ship soon." He sighed, glancing around to see if he could spot any of his clothes.

"Yeah, don't want Blondbeard getting his panties in a twist." Jake snorted, helping Taylor find his trousers and moving away to scoop up their shirts while he pulled them on. After they'd redressed properly, they shared a smile, and began to walk down together; only for Jake paused suddenly. "Hey, Taylor..." He said, catching Taylors hand and using it to draw him closer. "Thanks. I mean it." He said, as Taylor smiled and nuzzled his cheek briefly.

"Anytime, Jake." He replied lightly, stepping back and squeezing the pilots hand. " _I_  mean it." He said, winking at his pilot suggestively. Jake laughed, and nudged him playfully, as they slowly descended from the hill. Once they returned to the beach, they made their way over to the rest if their group, who were waiting at the shoreline.

"So, that view, right..?" Diego asked, grinning at Taylor knowingly, as he offered him his armour in a tight bundle.

"That view..." Taylor agreed with a wistful sigh, looking up at Jake with a fond grin, while Diego sniggered in amusement. As night fell, and the moon came into view, everyone made their way aboard two rowboats, bound for the galleon anchored in the harbor.

"Guess Frenchie and Cap'n Crunch are already aboard." Jake snorted, as he hopped into a boat, and then turned to offer Taylor his hand.

"Guys!" Diego gasped, veaming a wide grin as Taylor accepted Jake's hand and lightly hopped into the boat beside him. "Do you think we'll get to  _release the kraken?!_ "

"This time there'll be rum, right?" Raj asked hopefully, eyeing the distant galleon dubiously. "I mean, there's  _gotta_  be..." He said, his tone almost pleading.

Taylor shook his head fondly at his friends excitement, looking back towards the marketplace briefly, to see a large crowd surrounding Gurgi's stall.

 **"Haalta!**  I'll have whatever you gave those  **pashtak**  windsurfers!" Cried a green skinned female, waving a pouch at Gurgi.

"Did you hear? The Catalysts themselves did trade here!" A wolf masked male said eagerly.

"Please,  _please..._  One at a time!" Gurgi pleaded in frustration, grabbing at his wares, as Vaanti tried to snatch up anything they could reach.

Taylor snorted, hiding a wide smile behind his hand as he watched the frog masked merchant struggle. "Looks like he's getting more business than he bargained for..." He sniggered quietly, as Varyyn and Jake began to row the boats towards the galleon, pushing each other on with goading comments and taunting teases.

Taylor sighed and watched his pilot row, content in the peaceful rock of the boat over the gentle waves. They reached the ship a short time later, and Taylor grinned as he began to climb the ladder, certain be could feel eyes on him. He glanced back over his shoulder, confirming that Jake was watching him with a lopsided grin, and he snorted as he continued up the ladder. He hopped over the railing lightly and drew in a quiet breath of awe, as hw found himself on an ornately appointed deck.

"Welcome aboard,  _amis!"_  Yvonne greeted them warmly, flashing then a cocky grin and a wink, as the others clambered aboard behind Taylor. "The Dorado, she is quite yar, non?" She said, as Taylor looked around, a slow frown building on his face as he found no sign of other crew.

"It's just us?" He asked, raising his brows in surprise, as he turned to eye Diego critically. His friend was practically bouncing in excitement, muttering about the amazing, swashbuckling adventures they were bound to now experience.

"Just us, and  _la femme mysterieuse._ " Yvonne confirmed, winking at him conspiratorially, as he turned back towards her.

"Huh?" Taylor frowned, cocking his head in confusion, glancing at Malatesta when the captain snorted.

"She means the witch." He scoffed, pointing towards the prow of the ship. Taylor followed the pirates finger, and his throat seemed to close suddenly, as his eyes found her.

Facing out towards the sea, as if utterly unaware of their presence, stood a girl. A familiar girl, even with her long hair braided over her shoulder, and her shoulders covered by a thick brown leather jacket. Taylor felt his heart lurch, as he stepped towards her, so consumed by longing and hope; that he could barely choke out the single word, lodged in his throat.  _"Quinn..?"_


	3. What Doesn't Kill Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour, Guten Abend, Aloha, Hi!!!
> 
> So, i am not fond of this. I actually devated not posting it and full on abandoning the entire story. I admit it. I caught a cold saturday, which should give me some leeway on the slow update, but... really doesnt because i know im just not doing well with it just now...
> 
> But, enough of my crap :)  
> Here is the latest chapter - if like me you think its rubbish let me know and i'll take it down; or if you think its not rubbish, also please let me know cyz... that would be cool.  
>  Anyway sorry for my misery
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_Finding friends left and right, but still so divided and fragile... I should have told you all sooner, I know... But when Aleister said- I still should have just told you... I know... I thought I was protecting you all, and him._

_I wish I could have stopped you getting hurt, especially when it hurt you so much more than just physically... I'd have given anything to stop it, to have control. I'm so sorry_...

**3.**

**What Doesn't Kill Us.**

Taylor choked back a hysterical giggle, as pale moonlight revealed the silhouette of a woman with glowing red hair, leaning against the railing at the prow of the ship. She turned towards them with a huge smile, her eyes lighting with relief. "Taylor!" She called joyfully in reply.

 _"Ohmygod..."_  Diego murmured, staring at their radically changed friend in awe.

"It... It  _can't_  be, can it?" Michelle gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at Quinn in disbelief.

"You were hit with a rocket!" Raj cried, pointing at her accusingly. "We  _saw_  you explode!"

The words broke through Taylors frozen shock, and he moved towards her, only to be stopped bt a hand curling around his wrist. "Hang on." Jake warned quietly, reluctantly turning towards Quinn with an apologetic shrug. "Are we talking to Ariel... Or Ursula?" He asked hesitantly, as Quinn puffed out her cheeks, trying not to look hurt by the question.

Taylor narrowed his eyes, and glared at his pilot hotly. "Jake, I love you more than you'll ever know," he said lowly, ignoring the way Jake's eyes widened slowly at the confession. "But if you don't let me go this very second, and apologize, then so help me; I will  _never_  fu-"

"Sorry, Red. Cautious ex-military type, ya know?" The pilot said quickly, squeezing Taylors wrist briefly before releasing him, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He glanced around the others, his cheeks staining with colour when he saw them trying not to laugh. "Shut up, ya harpies." He snarked, scowling at them all as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Taylor ignored everything that wasn't Quinn, throwing his arms around her waist and picking her up, twirling her around the deck as she laughed. "Never, ever,  _ever_  do that to me again!" He sighed, finally setting her back on her feet and clasping her hands tightly.

 _"Ohhh,_  I see." She giggled, relief blazing in her eyes. "Don't like it so much when someone else does the self sacrificing, huh?" She said gently, freeing a hand to reach out and cup his cheek affectionately. She looked over his shoulder, and her smile grew, as she leaned towards Taylor. "Jake's glaring at me..." She whispered, cocking her brow at him knowingly. "That was kind of a weak threat by the way... What made you think it'd work?"

"It didn't last time," Taylor sniggered, resisting the urge to look back at his pilot. "But hey, fifty-fifty either way, right? Heh, did you see his face?" He asked gleefully, his adoration of his pilot surfacing, as he shook his head fondly. "Maybe it's 'cause we just fu... uh...  _ahem,_  enjoyed the...  _inspiring_  sunset. On the hilltop. Alone."

"Oh, so that was  _you_  we heard..." Quinn drawled, giggling at Taylors guilty but smug grin. "Oh, Taylor..!" She sighed, shaking her head fondly. "... I missed you." She admitted, glancing over his shoulder again and laughing at Jake's jealous scowl. "I missed all of you... And don't worry, Jake." She added, walking over and tentatively wrapping her arms around him. "It's  _me._  I'm not gonna hurt anyone." She said, before whispering something to Jake which made the pilot snort, and Taylor frown suspiciously.

"It really  _is_  you." Jake snickered, rolling his eyes as he ruffled her hair fondly, drawing away slightly to playfully jab her arm.

"Of course,  _silly."_  She giggled while wrinkling her nose, and swatting him back.

"Hey, I didn't get a hug." Taylor pouted, as Quinn rolled her eyes and stepped back from Jake, raising a brow at him pointedly. "That wasn't a hug, that was twirling. Totally different. Hug, now, wench." He demanded, as Quinn giggled and walked back to him. As Taylor wrapped his arms around her, she rested her chin on his shoulder and swayed with him gently. "I missed you too." He said quietly, returning to their previous conversation, as he felt his heart swell with a rush of relief and affection.

Quinn grinned at him, playfully swatting his nose, before pulling away and gazing at the rest of the group. "I'm so glad to have finally found all of you..." She sighed, her bright eyes welling with tears of joy as Michelle rushed over to wrap her arms around the redhead tightly.

"Have you see any sign of the others?" Taylor asked, stepping out of Michelle's path, and into Jake's loose embrace. "And just  _what_  did she say to you?" He added in a suspicious whisper, though his only reply was a smug wink from his pilot.

"Clearly not, or they'd be here too." Estela scoffed, folding her arms over her chest, as she leaned back against the railing.

"You don't know that!" Diego rebuffed, as he enfolded Quinn in a hug of his own. "She could have... information!" He said hesitantly, as Taylor rolled his eyes with a fond smile.

"No, Estela's right." Quinn sighed, paying to giggle as Raj picked her up for a hug. "Unfortunately, I don't know where anyone is at this point." She said, as he set her delicately back on her feet.

"Oh." Diego said, his voice small as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Hey, we're gonna find them soon..." Taylor said, looking around the dejected faces around him. He looked up as Jake squeezed his shoulder, smiling down at him lopsidedly, before he looked back at Quinn and taking her hand. "For now, we're just happy we have  _you_  back." He said, only for Quinn to wince suddenly, doubling over and bracing herself against his shoulder.  _"Quinn!"_  He gasped, his arms rising to steady her, as fear clutched at him tightly. "Oh no... Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, biting his lip as he ran his eyes over her for signs of injury.

"Malatesta, if you hurt her-" Estela began threateningly, stalking towards the pirate captain.

"No!" Quinn gasped, reaching toward Estela imploringly, drawing the dark haired girl to a halt. "It's not him. It's..." She looked over her shoulder, as if she felt some stranger lurking, or following behind her; and suddenly, Taylor understood.

"It's the Heart." He said quietly, his eyes searching hers knowingly as she turned back to him. He looked down and felt within himself, finding only the weak pulse of an ache, deep inside his heart. He frowned, sensing some knowledge at the back of his mind, loitering just out of his reach. "That part of the Heart... which gave you your, uh, powers?"

Quinn's eyes met Taylors, as he raised his gaze once more, a mixture of relief and loss on her face. "You make it sound like I'm a superhero..." She finally sniggered quietly, shaking her head at him fondly. "The things I could do before... I doubt I'd be able to do again." She sighed, her head tilting almost guiltily as she peeks up at them all. "I lost my connection to the presence after the rocket hit."

"You're tellin'  _me..."_  Taylor muttered almost inaudibly, rubbing his chest unconsciously, shivering as he recalled the abrupt departure of his connection to Quinn. "How do you know it's gone?" He asked, as she raised a brow at him. "I mean, like...  _Gone,_  gone..?" He clarified weakly, fluttering his hand in her general direction.

"I tried reaching out to it again." Quinn confessed, biting her lip briefly, before sighing and looking up at the stars. "I wanted to fly, to see if I could find everyone, but... I  _couldn't."_  She said regretfully, as Taylor drew her into his side, laying his cheek against the top of her head worriedly.

"What does this mean for your health?" He worried aloud, looking down at her in horror as a sudden thought occurred to him. "Has your Rotterdam's come back?" He asked urgently, only for Quinn to smile reassuringly.

"No." She said, squeezing his hand, before her expression fell slightly, turning guilty as she looked down at their feet. "But... There's something else." She admitted quietly, peeking up at him reluctantly. "I constantly feel...  _hollow._  Incomplete. Like, the most important part of me, got taken away." She explained, as Taylor felt something inside himself grow cold at the description.

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked worriedly, distracting Taylor before he had a chance to focus on the strange feeling. He looked down to see fear and yearning clash on the redheads eyes, before she turned away; staring back out to sea once more.

"I'm  _so_  sorry, everyone. I remember everything." She said suddenly, pouting as she tried to hide her trembling lower lip. "What I  _did..._  What I  _felt,_  when it was controlling me." She sniffed, gripping Taylors hand gratefully, when he squeezed her shoulder. "The Islands Heart is broken into two halves. The presence wanted to find them desperately." She said, as Taylor unconsciously looked away, already aware of the Hearts condition.

"That would explain... a few things." He hedged awkwardly, clearing his throat as he glanced around guiltily. "Then, we need to get back the piece Rourke took, and try to find the rest of it." He suggested slowly, hating the sense of dishonesty he felt, passing the idea off as his own; but too ashamed to admit the truth.

"We do?" Diego yelped, his eyes widening at the suggestion, darting between Taylor and Quinn's locked gazes nervously.

"The Heart contains  _so_  much energy, more than you could imagine..." Quinn said, shaking her head slowly. "If Rourke gets both halves, he'll be able to alter time however he wants." She explained, clutching her chest and staggering slightly. "Ugh..." She groaned, frowning in frustration. "It's like I'm chained to it, and anytime it pulls me, it hurts."

"Sucks, don't it?" Taylor huffed, drawing a weak giggle and an appreciative look from the redhead, as she stepped closer and rested her forehead to his shoulder.

"We gotta fix this." Jake said quietly, running his hand over Quinn's arm and squeezing her shoulder gently, in a concerned show of affection.

"It's okay! Everything's gonna be alright!" Diego chanted, his eyes wide as he ran his hands through his hair distractedly. "I'm sure there's something we can do... Right?"

"Dude, you spaced out didn't you?" Taylor snorted, bumping his fist to Diego's shoulder playfully. "Did you not just hear the plan?"

"No, because that would mean  _you_  made a plan, which you  _promised_  you wouldn't do anymore after last time!" Diego ranted, scowling at Taylor with narrowed eyes.

 _"What_  last time?" Jake asked, frowning as he tried to recall the more recent of Taylors bad plans.

"Oh, no, he's uh..." Taylor hedged, glaring back at Diego, before looking up at Jake innocently. "He's just talking... in general. Ya know... Taylors plans,  _bad... Grrr!_  And... all that..." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat as Jake frowned down at him with a suspicious raised brow. Taylor turned to scowl over at his best friend again, narrowing his eyes pointedly. "Besides which this was  _Quinn's_  plan." He whispered firmly, shaking his head as Diego opened his mouth to say something further, before wisely remaining silent.

"They're right." Estela said shortly, unfolding her arms as she walked over and clapped Quinn on the shoulder, the closest to a sign of affection she was willing to give. "We start, by getting the other half of the Heart before Rourke does."

"Agreed." Varyyn said darkly, his expression twisting into something hateful, drawing Diego's attention from his glaring match with Taylor. "The Hydra has no right to command the Heart." He growled, as Diego slid his hand into Varyyn's, the Elyyshar's shoulders immediately losing their tension, as he looked down at Diego with a softer expression.

"How would we even find it, though?" Taylor wondered aloud, shaking his head and exhaling loudly. "It wasn't exactly a cakewalk, getting to the first half at Elyys'tel." He reminded them.

"Hmm, start of the ride was pretty interesting..." Jake hummed, his nose trailing beneath Taylors ear lightly, as Taylor broke out in a fond but slightly exasperated smile. He half turned towards his pilot, a gentle chastisement on his lips, but the words failed him, as he caught sight of the pilots pained expression. "Not so much the final hurdle though." He said quietly, and Taylor felt his heart clench in guilt, recalling his pilots distress; when he'd been unable to break free of the reversed flow of time. He leaned closer to his pilot, brushing his lips over the corner of the pilots briefly in reassurance, before resting his head against the pilots chin.

"... I think..." Quinn hedged, glancing between them worriedly, before looking around the others. "I think, I can bring us to its location." She said thoughtfully, as Malatesta growled under his moustache, crossing his arms over his chest tightly.

 _"Zut alors_ , Mal, are you truly so thick headed?" Yvonne gasped, shaking her head at him as he stomped his foot like a child.

"I don't care what kind if bet we made!" He sneered, scowling at Yvonne fiercely. "This is still  _my_  ship! And you lot won't be usin' it for your... Goody two shoes nonsense!"

" _Mon dieu_ , I really can't believe you..." Yvonne said scathingly, scowling at the man who'd tried to kill her, before taking a deep breath and painting a cocky grin on her lips. "In any case, this is  _not_  your ship anymore. We are going to use it to help Taylors friends, whether you like it or not."

"So it's  _'we'_  now, Yvie?" Malatesta scoffed, sneering down his nose at her. "Since when did you reduce yourself to traipsing about with  _children?"_  He asked derisively, snorting at Yvonne in disgust.

"Hey, watch it Davy Groans." Jake snarked, scowling at the pirate captain. "You're a little outnumbered here." He growled, releasing his light hold on Taylors shoulders, as Malatesta grit his teeth and stepped towards Jake; the pilot moving to intercept him eagerly. Taylor grabbed at Jake's jacket in concern, but before a fight could break out, Yvonne stomped her foot on the floorboards loudly.

 _"Arrete!"_  She demanded, scowling between them both, as they reluctantly took a single step away from each other; their glares remaining locked on each other, merely awaiting the spark which would reignite their attempt to brawl. Yvonne walked over to Taylor, leaning close as she whispered in his ear. "We have two choices,  _Cheri..._  Love, or violence." She said, winking at Taylor suggestively, as he grimaced at the mental image she continued to paint. "Either I knock Mal out... Or, I knock Mal out,  _oui?"_

"Thank you so much for that entirely unwanted imagery." Taylor sighed, shaking his head and trying to replace the image with something else. "Totally not traumatised by that idea." He groaned, as he bit his lip and looked at Jake, determinedly burning the pilot's current expression into his mind over the one Yvonne had left behind. "Okay, Yvonne... Seduce him into submission; but please, never talk to me about it again. I do not ever wanna see you two that way..."

"My pleasure..." Yvonne chuckled, strolling up to Malatesta with a swing in her hips, a coy smirk plastered to her lips.

"Okay, I like where this is going." Jake huffed in amusement, grinning broadly at Malatesta's suspicious curiosity.

"Tell me when it's over..." Taylor called from behind him, and the pilot turned with a barked laugh of surprise, as he found Taylor grimacing; his hand pressed firmly over his eyes. He took Taylors hand in his own and kissed it fondly, shaking his head as he drew Taylor into a tight embrace, allowing him to hide his face in the pilots jacket.

"You're ridiculous, Boy Scout." Jake said fondly, chuckling when Taylor mumbled incoherently into his jacket in response, as he turned to watch the pirated interaction with interest.

"I believe you'll want to co-operate with  _mes amis enfants_ , Mal." Yvonne purred, as the captain straightened to his imposing height, and crossed his arms across his broad chest.

"Oh?" He sneered, scowling down at her, though hw raised a brow in intrigue. "And what makes you say that?" Yvonne grinned, pulling on his lapels to hunch his posture to her short stature, before whispering something quietly into his ear. As she finished her hushed offer, Malatesta pulled away with a shocked face. "Ye wouldn't dare! You detest me!"

"Perhaps, just  _perhaps..._  I could be  _persuaded..."_  Yvonne drawled seductively, as Diego began to snigger.

"What are  _you_  laughing at?" Michelle asked, raising a brow at his continued display of amusement.

"Nothing, it's just..." He snorted, shaking his head as he stroked his beard flat. "She looks just like Taylor, trying to convince Jake he's not gonna do something stupid..." He said, sniggering as the others all giggled at his assessment.

"Or when he's promising to-" Quinn began gleefully, only for Taylor to raise his head from Jake's jacket quickly, his face red from their teasing.

 _"Quinn!"_  He cried incredulously, shaking his head at her and pouting, as she giggled at him unashamedly. He huffed in exasperation, and turned to watch the pirates exchanging furtive remarks in hushed French.

"You could cut the tension out here with a curved blade..." Diego said quietly, as Taylor snorted and glared over at his friend.

"Or an  _idiot."_  He quipped snidely, sticking his tongue out at Diego, when his friend made the childish gesture first. Varyyn sighed, and drew Diego into his side, as Jake lowered his lips to Taylors ear.

"Why're you bein' so salty, exactly?" The pilot demanded, as Taylor huffed and turned away with a pout, refusing to answer. Jake seemed about to press further, when Malatesta raised his sour gaze to the group.

"Alright, we'll have it your way, but you'll follow my instructions all the way there!" He snarked, scowling around them all individually. "This is a pirate ship, not a play pen!"

"Aye, aye, Cap'n Crunch." Jake snorted, chopping a rough salute to Malatesta. Taylor edged away from his pilot, inching closer to Yvonne, as conversations buzzed around him.

"So... This is probably a terrible thing to ask, yet, I... can't seem to stop myself." He said quietly, frowning at his own curiosity. "But, what did you say to him, to make him change his mind?"

Yvonne smirked at him, winking coyly as she chuckled. "I never kiss and tell." She said lowly, looking over at Malatesta as he grumbled and took a flask from his coat, gulping its contents almost desperately.

"Yep, totally regret that." Taylor hummed, nodding his head as he folded his arms over his chest. "Bad Taylor, don't ask questions when you really  _don't_  wanna know the answer..." He scolded himself, shaking his head with a snort.

"God help me." Malatesta sighed, as he finally lowered his flask. Taylor sniggered, as the pirate ran a hand through his hair distractedly. "Beds are down below. Witch, stay put for navigation. Out with all of you!" He bit out, wearing a mutinous scowl.

Quinn nodded and walked over to the helm, which she began to turn with all of her diminutive might. "Welcome aboard, everyone!" She said with a bright smile, giggling as they all trekked below deck to get some rest.

On the ships lower level, they found themselves hammocks quickly, dumping their things on the floor beneath them before they clambered in. Taylor hummed contently as he fell into his own, looking across the small gap to meet Jake's affectionate gaze briefly, before passing out seconds later.

Taylor slept soundly, pleasantly undisturbed by dreams or visions. He woke up the following morning, to the sound of water, splashing onto someone's face. "No! Don't eat me!" Raj cried desperately, thrashing in his hammock in terror. "I know my  _name_  is on the menu, but that doesn't mean I-" he cut off with a gasp as he finally opened his eyes, looking around and remembering where he was. "Oh. I was asleep." He sighed, his relief palpable.

"Up with you!" Malatesta growled, placing an empty bucket on the floorboards, and collecting another. "There's work to be done! This is a pirate ship, not a lodge!"

"I'm up, I'm up! Geez, dude." Raj complained, scurrying from his hammock quickly. Michelle followed his example, hurrying form her own hammock, and inching away from Malatesta, and his vicious bucket of sea water.

 _"Rude!"_  She snarled, as she flicked her hair over her shoulder, scowling at him hatefully. Taylor turned, looking towards Jake's hammock, unsurprised to find it empty, though still disappointed. He glanced up, as Malatesta turned towards him, and held the fresh bucket up threateningly.

"And  _you?"_  He demanded, eyeing him with a raised brow. "Will you also need encouragement?" He snarled.

"Don't you  _dare!"_  Taylor growled, hopping down from his hammock with a flourished twist of his legs. "It's hard enough to keep my hair nice with all the crap we go through around here, without  _you_  ruining it!" He sneered, dropping his expression and sniggering when Malatesta rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"An attack on Taylors hair, is an attack on my hair..." Michelle said, scowling at the pirate as she carefully tied her hair back, narrowing her eyes as she stepped closer. "And you  _don't_  attack my hair." She whispered furiously, much to Taylors amusement.

 _"Arrr,_  out! All of ye!" Malatesta roared, shooing them all towards the for with a threatening jiggle of his bucket. Taylor snorted and threw his arm over Michelle's shoulders, leading her away from the irate pirate. He released her when they reached the deck, where they saw their friends scuttling to and fro on the ship.

"Ahoy, Taylor." Diego greeted, saluting him roughly, as Taylor grinned and bumped his shoulder affectionately. "Looks like its a pirates life for us!" He said excitedly, a huge grin plastered to his face.

"Scrawny one!" Malatesta growled, as he followed them up from below deck. "I told ya to clean those scuppers!" He yelled, storming over to grab Diego by the elbow.

"Okay, but..." Diego protested, quickly twisting out if the pirates grip and falling into step behind him. "You never explained what 'scuppers' even are..."

Taylor snorted and shook his head, drawing in a deep breath as he looked around for his pilot. He noticed Yvonne's legs dangling from the top of the crows nest, dozens of feet overheard. As he walked over, she waved with her spyglass.  _"Bonjour,_  Taylor!" She called cheerily, and he waved in response, before peering around the ship again.

He spotted Jake and Raj near the prow of the ship, and he smiled as he walked over quietly, stifling a short when he saw they were organising bundles of rope. As he approached, he saw Jake demonstrating how to tie an elaborate and many looped knot, and he raised a brow as he stepped close enough to hear them. "It's not that hard, Pineapple Express." The pilot huffed, pulling the knot free easily, and beginning to repeat the procedure. "You're overthinking it."

"How are you so good at this?!" Raj asked, staring in wide eyed awe as Jake's hands moved quickly and fluidly to curl, twist and tie the rope. Taylor watched in fascination from over Jake's shoulder, his pilot too absorbed in his work to notice him.

Jake smiled softly, a fond look in his eyes as he recalled something from his past. "Naval Academy taught a little, but I kept learning as a hobby." He said, a wolfish grin taking over his face, as he glanced up at Raj and winked. "You'd be surprised at some of the situations where it comes in handy."

Taylor bit his lip, recalling their private New Years celebrations, and suddenly the pilots grand escape seemed clearer. He leaned closer to Jake's shoulder, enough that he could whisper in the pilots ear. "Is that  _so..?"_  He asked in a coy purr, laughing when Jake startled and dropped his rope.

"Oh, Boy Scout!" He choked, flushing as he turned to face Taylor, when he realised he'd been snuck up on. "Didn't see you there..." He coughed, a slow grin building at Taylors smug expression.

 _"Please."_  Taylor said leadingly, waggling his eyebrows as he stepped forward and slid his arms around Jake's waist. "I'd love to hear all about the practical applications of tying rope." He said, leaning towards his pilot, as Jake hummed thoughtfully and curled his arm around Taylors hips.

Before Jake could reply, or deliver the kiss Taylor deeply desired and was certain he'd been about to receive, Yvonne shouted urgently from the crows nest. " _Mes amis_! You'll want to see this!" She called, sliding down a rope and gracefully alighting on the deck, offering Taylor her spyglass.

Taylor met her cheerful grin with a scowl, as he snatched the spyglass from her hand. "You couldn't wait three more seconds?" He grumbled petulantly, raising the glass to his eye and looking in the direction she indicated, gasping when he saw two familiar faces on the shore. "Okay, I'm gonna forgive you, but  _only_  this once!" He sniffed, as he bit his lip and gazed at Craig and Sean; who were bound and gagged, surrounded by Arachnid soldiers. "It's Sean and Craig! They're being held captive." He said, looking around them all, as he passed the spyglass over to Estela.

"You see them?" Michelle gasped, her hand rising to her mouth as her eyes widened, leaning against the railing to gaze into the distance longingly. Taylor squeezed her shoulder gently, offering her comfort and reassurance as his heart filled with compassion for the blonde.

Estela bumped his shoulder, and passed the spyglass back, scowling as she gestured towards the shore with her chin. "... Look who's next to them." She snarled, pointing to another figure amid the Arachnid soldiers.

Taylors heart lurched into a rapid sprint, as his gaze locked onto Aleister standing a short distance away, his friend affecting a rigid stance which he supposed would come off as arrogant; but Taylor could see the pale boys nervously fidgeting fingers, hidden behind his back. He shifted his gaze to a soldier in red beside him, his heart stinging as he ran his gaze over the stoic Mike. He stared for a long pause, as the pair prepared to board a military speedboat, trying to imagine the man as someone with a similar vibrancy of life as Jake, to imagine him standing beside his pilot. His heart ached, and he lowered the glass as the other soldiers were dragging Sean and Craig towards the vessel.

"They're getting on a boat." Taylor said quietly, swallowing heavily as he avoided Jake's gaze, passing the spyglass to Michelle as he turned away and leaned his back against the railing.

"Not on  _my_  damned watch." Jake growled, scowling towards the short, unaware of Taylors internal grappling with his turbulent emotions. "Lets board them.  _Now."_  He said firmly, drawing Taylor to reluctantly raise his gaze to his pilots.

"Jake, Mike's over there." He said quietly, his heart sinking as Jake flinched, his furious scowl melting to a hopeful glance towards the Aracnid's speedboat. "He tried to kill us before... And he almost  _did_  kill you. Are you  _sure_  we can stop him?" He said hesitantly, his expression twisting with guilt, as Jake turned back to him with his scowl firmly back in place.

"I can't  _not_  try, Taylor!" He fumed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't!" He choked, shaking his head as he half turned away from them all. "Just... focus on getting Sean and Craig.  _I'll_  handle Mike." He said firmly, turning back to see Taylors expression shutter closed, his eyes lowering to the floor with a small nod. "Taylor, I didn-"

"You know him best. Makes the most sense." Taylor said over Jake's attempt to reassure him, moving away from the railing and Jake, as the pilot reached for him. "We know what to do. So, let's do it, before its too late." He added, as Malatesta let out an impatient growl.

"Arrr, quit ya gawkin'!" He snapped, gesturing around the ship. "There's much to do!" He growled, moving to take the helm.

 _"Gawking?!"_  Quinn cried, scowling at the captain ferociously. "Our friends have been  _kidnapped!_  Are you really gonna try to stop us from rescuing them?"

 _"Stop_  you?" Malatesta queried, turning back to Quinn with a curious frown, as Taylor braced himself against the mast; with at least three of his friends between himself and Jake, his heart aching at his pilots rejection. "I'm gonna  _help_  you!" He heard Malatesta cry, and he shook his head, looking up at the captain with an unfocused frown. "This is a pirate ship, not a peace vessel. You wanna raid a ship? Ye're speaking my language!"

"Nice to see you in  _bonne humeur_  for once, you sludge eating flatfish." Yvonne chuckled, matching Malatesta's eager grin with one of her own.

"Don't play nice, you conniving harpy!" Malatesta snarled, his expression twisting into a snarl. "You'll not take more booty than me! Miss Witch, take us starboard!"

Quinn chopped a brief salute, hurrying to take the helm herself. "Changing course!" She cried, as Taylor turned away to find to go change into his armour, figuring he would need the extra protection against the Arachnid troops. He slowly made his way down to the sleeping quarters, his mind absorbed with thoughts of Jake; and of Mike.

He knelt by his bag, his heart twisting with discomfort and guilt, as his hands balled into fists in his lap as jealousy coursed through him. He exhaled a deep breath, as he grabbed his armour and pushed to his feet, yelping and dropping the bundle again when he collided with a firm body behind him.  _"Ahhh!"_  He gasped, whirling around to find Jake stood just behind him. "What the  _hell_  are you trying to-" he began, rising his hand to swat at the pilots shoulder.

"Don't." Jake said, grabbing Taylors wrist as he walked him back to the wall. His cerulean eyes gazing down at Taylor intently, with a mixture of guilt, regret, pain and a faint flicker of hope. "Don't do this. Not now." He pleaded, shaking his head as he pressed himself against Taylor, the pilots heart hammering against his chest.

"Don't do what?" Taylor snorted, averting his eyes as he tried to tug his wrist free weakly. "I just came to get changed. Figured the armour would be useful." He said honestly, though they both felt the heavy lie buried beneath the truth.

"Please, Taylor, I  _need_  you." Jake said lowly, leaning his head to Taylors as he closed his eyes. "I can't do this without you-"

"Well it sure as hell seems like you wanna!" Taylor snapped snidely, before he could stop himself. He sighed and knocked his head back against the wall, looking up at his pilot guiltily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... I-"

"I know... I, uh, I didn't exactly phrase it the best..." Jake said quietly, his free hand rising to curl beneath Taylors chin. "Look, I'll say it however many times I need to, til it sinks into that... Beautiful, but  _stubborn,_  thick head of yours." He said, releasing Taylors wrist to lace their fingers together against the wall. "I love  _you,_  Taylor... I have a chance to maybe save whatever's left of my best friend, who I am pretty damn sure you would get along great with, 'cause he'll  _gladly_  tell you all the embarrassing shit I'd never admit to... But, I need you to help me, Taylor, 'cause god knows... I ain't strong enough to do it alone."

"Funny, I thought that was exactly what you just said you  _wanted_  to do." Taylor said, his eyes stinging with tears, which he scrubbed away furiously. His heart skipped a beat, as ever, at the pilots confession; but it also twisted with a dark coil of jealousy, the confliction weighing him down heavily.

"C'mon, Taylor, you  _know_  I didn't mean it like it sounded." Jake said, shaking his head as he drew back enough to meet Taylors eyes with a fierce and broken gaze in one. "Don't... don't shut me out. Not now, not after everything. Okay, I'm sorry, for... for wordin' it wrong; but I just, I didn't want you to feel... awkward." He said haltingly, his fingers squeezing against Taylors.

"Well, you can rest assured,  _awkward_  is the last thing I feel right now." Taylor said, flinching when he was unable to keep the bitterness from his tone. "C'mon... Let me get ready. Then you can go 'handle' Mike." He said snidely, moving to push Jake aside, only for the pilot to press him harder against the wall.

"You  _know_  I didn't mean it like that, Taylor, you  _know_  it!" Jake fumed, a confused frown forming as he stared down at Taylor pleadingly. "What the hell do I have to do exactly? How the hell can I show you what you mean to me, if I haven't already? What do you want me to-"

 _"I don't know_!" Taylor yelled, covering his face with his free hand to hide the guilt and desperation he knew would be showing.  _"I don't bloody know, okay?! All I know is every time I think of him, I see you there with him and I can't stand it! I can't stand that he was this huge part of your life! That he has this hold on you! Because if you **can't**  save him_..." He choked, shaking his head as he took a shuddering deep breath. "If you can't save him... If you lose him,  _again..._  I'm not sure I'll be enough to put you back together." He said quietly, hiccupping as he tried to re-contain his emotions.

For a long pause there was no sound, except for Taylors occasional hiccupping, as Jake seemed to hold his breath. Until slowly, Jake's fingers began to gent pry at Taylors hand, still clamped over his face tightly. When the pilot finally succeeded in moving his hand, he immediately captured his chin, forcing his eyes up to meet the pilots concerned and awed gaze. "You overthink way too much. But, I guess I should feel lucky, to have found someone who cares so much..." He said quietly, his fingers stroking Taylors cheek lightly, as his eyes ran over him with soft affection. He swallowed and frowned briefly, shaking his head slowly as he huffed a tense chuckle and thought for a moment, before knocking their head together gently. "Taylor you said it yourself... We handle shit best, when we do it together. Ride or die, right?" He whispered imploringly, his clear eyes searching Taylors desperately. "Please, Boy Scout... Are you still with me?"

Taylor bit his lip, Jake's unusual vulnerability throwing off the bitter sting in his heart, diluting it enough that he could contain it in a heavy locked chest, buried deep within his heart. He swallowed heavily, shifting against the wall slightly as he hesitantly raised his free hand to toy with the pilots dog tags. "Idiot." He said roughly, offering a weak and lopsided grin. "I'm  _always_  with you..." He said quietly, as Jake visibly deflated with relief. "Even when I-  _mmpf!"_  Taylor gasped as Jake surged forward to kiss him roughly, a touch of desperation and need in the caress of his lips against Taylors. He groaned as the pilots hands clutched at his waist, pressing his body to Taylors as he returned Jake's fervent kiss passionately, his hands rising to the pilots shoulders; before tangling in his hair, urging him ever closer.  _"Mmm!_  Jake..!  _Wait-"_  he gasped between Jake's increasingly urgent kisses.

Jake paused, his lips sealed against Taylors firmly, before he gently pulled away, resting their foreheads together as he swept his thumb over Taylors hip gently. "Once we got 'em back, I want you back down here..." He panted quietly, brushing his lips over Taylors again lightly. His clear eyes burnt with a fierce desire and intent, which had Taylors heart stuttering, as he clenched his fingers into the pilots jacket.

"... Okay." Taylor said quietly, his heart racing from the pilots kisses and touches, his head consumed with his conflicted emotions. "I, uh... I can... I can definitely be  _on board_  with that." He said, biting his lip shyly, as he peeked up at Jake from beneath his lashes.

Jake grinned, his joy and relief clear as he gazed down at Taylor fondly, ignoring his pun entirely. "... To be continued." He promised, leaning forward to steal another, softer kiss, which Taylor reciprocated tenderly. He pulled away with a crooked grin, stepping back slowly until he reached the doorway. "See ya, up there, Boy Scout. " The pilot said, clapping the doorframe briefly, before disappearing from view.

Taylor bit his lip, half hoping and half terrified his pilot would return. He sighed, knocking his head back against the wall as he swallowed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, overwhelmed by his emotional turbulence. "What the  _hell,_  Taylor?" He muttered to himself, shaking his head as he pushed away from the wall and picked up his armour _. I can't keep trying to deal with everything on my own... Jake is trying so hard, but it's gotta be so hard on him._.. He thought guiltily, toying with an arm plate, but making no move to attach it.  _It's not fair to add my bullshit onto what he's already dealing with... What if it were me, and I'd spent three years believing Diego had died; only to discover it wasn't so?_  He wondered, frowning as he tried to imagine the scenario, but unable to; too hurt even by the thought to seriously consider it. "Oh, Jake..." He sighed, tossing his armour into his hammock and burying his face in his hands. "I'm  _so_  sorry..."

 _"Pardonnez-moi,_   _mes ami_ ," Yvonne called from the doorway, startling Taylor, as he spun towards her. "But if you are to apologize to someone, it generally helps if they are present,  _non?"_

"I, uh...  _Ahem,_  Yvonne!" Taylor babbled, shaking his head and clearing his throat as he stepped towards her. "Er, what can I, uh... I mean, what're you doing down here?" He asked awkwardly, scratching his ear nervously.

"You worry too much, Taylor." Yvonne said seriously, watching him intently as he froze. "Your man is very much devoted to you,  _non?_  Your foolishness only upsets you both." She added, tilting her chin up slightly, as she assessed him critically.

"Uh," Taylor balked, his eyes wide as he tried to not look so guilty as he felt. "I, uh..." He hedged, taking a deep breath and exhaling heavily, as he looked up to meet her gaze firmly. "I'm working on it..." He said quietly, biting his lip in uncertainty, as the pirate snorted.

"It is none of my affair, do as you will. Perhaps if you continue to be foolish, Yvonne shall offer him comfor-" the pirate began lightly, only for Taylor to interrupt quickly.

"Don't push it, Yvonne." He said firmly, surprising himself with his vehemence. "I love Jake, and I'm not about to give him up... Not for anyone." He said, scowling at the pirate as she smirked and pushed away from the doorframe.

" _There, Mon Cher_!" She cheered, pointing at Taylor excitedly.  _"That's_  the spirit! So then, if you are so intent to dissuade others; why are you pushing him towards this other?" She asked, tilting her head curiously.

"It's... complicated." Taylor hedged, frowning as he tried to work through his feelings. "Mike was this... huge part of Jake's life-"

 _"Oui,_  and now you are even more than this,  _non?"_  The pirate pressed, interrupting quickly and causing Taylor to pause thoughtfully. "You should not live in the past,  _mes ami..._  That path only leads to heartache." She said, unknowingly startling Taylor, as she reminded him of his earlier promises to himself. The pirate cleared her throat, distracting him from his thoughts, as she stepped closer. "But enough of such things, I did not cone to meddle with you and your paramour. Here," she said, draping something over his extended arms with a flourish. "If you're joining us on a raid,  _Mon Cher_ , you should fly our colours!"

"Come again?" Taylor asked, raising a brow as he looked through the things in his arms; finding garments of soft muslin and tailored leather.  _"Oh!"_  He gasped, as understanding slammed into him.

"These should fit you nicely." Yvonne assured, her eyes flitting between Taylor and the clothing she'd brought him. She turned for the door, glancing back briefly before she stepped through. "You will not have long, I suggest you change swiftly, if you wish to join us." She said, before disappearing through the door, leaving only the fading sound of the click of her boots.

Taylor stared after her a moment, before looking down at the clothes in his arms, fingering them gently, before laying them on the hammock and hurrying to strip off his shirt and trousers _. I forgot... To live in the present._  He thought, as he pulled on the loose trousers and shirt.  _I got so focused on Mike, on what he used to mean, I forgot all about living in the now; and remembering what I mean to Jake._.. He mused, tying the red sash around his waist and the cravat around his neck.  _But they're both right. Jake needs help, and I can't keep seeing Mike as some, mythical beast which is gonna ruin what Jake and I have now... Even if they were-_  he paused, cutting the thought off abruptly before it could fester. He buckled a belt over the top of his sash, and bent to tie his high boots.  _How much time have I wasted already, worrying about Mike..? I mean, I should be cherishing every second I'm lucky enough to have Jake in my life, to have them all... Because who knows how long we really have? Rourke... The Endless... Mount Atropo... Any one of them could bring an end to everything. And..._

Taylor paused, pulling the long coat over his arms. His confidence fading briefly as he considered what might happen if they managed to undo what had happened to the world _. If we save the world... This time, they have to go... And we know now, that I can't go with them. So, if we can save Mike now... Then at least Jake won't be alone. He can help him clear their names, prove what Lundgren did._.. He thought, his resolve solidifying as he shoved all of his remaining doubts and concerns behind a heavy door in his mind, before he sighed in relief, finally feeling himself again. He finished pulling the coat over his shoulders, and took a deep breath, before he hurried back up to the deck. He caught sight of his friends, and walked over confidently, swishing his coat as he came to a halt before them; posing with his hands on his hips, as he beamed a huge grin at them all.  _"Arrr,_  me hearties!" He growled roughly, laughing as Diego jumped in surprise.

 _"Whoa!"_  Raj cried, a wide grin lighting his face as he eyed Taylors outfit with an approving nod. "Check out Taylor, guys!"

 _"Yaaas!"_  Diego gasped, as he turned to see Taylors drastically changed appearance, his brow raising at the change in attitude around him. "Jack sparrows got  _nothing_  on you!" He added, his expression tinted by jealousy, as he eyed the swashbuckling coat.

"Consider me impressed." Michelle said, shaking her head in awe as she ran her eyes over him. "Somehow you've managed to make ren faire clothes look good."

"It's a natural talent." Taylor sighed, dusting his coat off dramatically, as Michelle laughed quietly. His attention was stolen however when he caught sight of his pilot approaching, his heart fluttering as his newfound resolve left him feeling nothing but affection and desire.

Jake glanced at him as he walked by, flashing him a small smile, before pausing and doing a double take suddenly. "Damn, Boy Scout." He said, running his eyes over taylor appreciatively, as he strolled over to his pilot. "You can board  _my_  ship any time." He said, grinning broadly as Taylor drew him into a tight hug.

"That's good, because we made plans already." Taylor murmured in his ear, pulling back to press a light kiss to his pilots cheek. Jake raised a brow, running his eyes over Taylor again curiously, sensing the blatant shift in his attitude and tilting his head questioningly. "I, uh... I realised something." Taylor admitted quietly, glancing behind him to see the others had discreetly moved away to give them space, moving to see what was happening on the shore.

"Yeah? Is it that you look  _ridiculously_  fuckable, right now? 'Cause if so, I had the same realisation." Jake said, winking at him, as he dipped his eyes over Taylors outfit once more.

"No, and don't make me laugh, I'm trying to be serious here..." Taylor snorted, swatting the pilots arm as he bit his lip. "I just... I love you, Jake." He said suddenly, flushing st the unexpected confession, but pressing on anyway. "And, I'm sorry. I, uh... I don't wanna ruin what time we have together, being an insecure idiot..." He added awkwardly, biting his lip as he drew back.

"Taylor-" Jake began, a small frown creasing his brow as he looked down at Taylor in concern, but their attention was stolen by Estela's urgent warning.

"Taylor! We've been spotted!" The dark haired girl yelled, holding up the spyglass for him. "Rourke junior's giving orders quick. We need to hurry!" She called, waving the spyglass pointedly.

"Heh, duty calls, Top Gun." Taylor said, squeezing Jake's shoulder briefly before hurrying over to snatch the spyglass from Estela. "And  _you,_  don't call him that." He folded, glaring at her briefly, before checking through the spyglass again, and choking at what he saw.

Aleister was glaring towards the pirate ship, and Taylor worried his lip nervously, as he noticed the pale boy begin hurriedly ordering the Arachnid soldiers around. Taylor watched as the troops took up formation on the speedboat and raised their guns, as the engine revved to life. "They're trying to run for it!" He cried, as he lowered the spyglass and whirled to Malatesta urgently. "We'll never catch them in this ship!"

"Aye?" The pirate captain sneered, grinning maliciously as he stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "Then I'd say it's time to even the odds... Miss Witch!" He barked, turning towards Quinn at the helm. "Bring us in! Yvonne, catch the sail to the wind!" He ordered, and for once Yvonne said nothing, as she nodded and hurried to comply. Malatesta turned his narrowed gaze to Taylor, who grinned and waved, as the captain pointed to a pile of giant chains, and a spear tip the size of Taylors head. "Quickly, now. Hook the spearhead to the boom chains, then load it into the cannon!" He barked roughly.

Taylor chopped a gruff salute, before deftly hooking the spearhead onto the heavy chain, quickly loading it into the cannon, and fastening the first chain-link onto the barrel. "Aye-aye, Captain Bird's-eye, sir!" He sniggered, as Diego bumped into his shoulder.

"You're a natural at this pirate thing, Taylor!" His friend praised, as Taylor winked, smirking as he playfully shoved Diego away.

Malatesta prepared the flint, looking down at Taylor sternly. "Listen carefully." He warned, gesturing with his chin towards the speedboat. "Once I light it, aim at the boats broadside." He said, before whipping his head around to the others. "Cover your ears and hold onto something!" He yelled, as Taylor frowned, about to ask about his own ears, only for Malatesta to strike the flint and bring the fuse to life.

Following the captains orders, Taylor kept the aim steady to the speedboats flank. "Aye..." Malatesta hummed, running his eyes over Taylor approvingly, as he grinned excitedly. "We'll make a salty dog out of you yet! Now hold on!"

"Hold on?" Taylor asked, gasping suddenly as the cannon exploded to life. The spearhead launched, with the chain trailing behind it. Taylor bit his lip, watching in desperate hope as the spearhead flew through the air after the other boat. Just when it looked like the speedboat had gotten too far ahead, the sharp blade pierced it's metal clad hull. "Yes!" Taylor cried, throwing his hands into the air victoriously, as the speedboat lurched wildly, upon being snared by the boom chain. He strained his ears, just able to make out Aleister and the Arachnid troops shouting.

"Wh-what was that?!" Aleister demanded, his pale head of hair appearing on deck to see what had happened.

 **"Uh... is that a pirate ship?"**  Asked one of the troops, pointing towards their ship dubiously.

"Defensive formation!  _Now!"_  Mike ordered roughly, glaring at the Dorado hatefully. Taylor stared back determinedly, suppressing the niggle of doubt in the pit of his stomach and reminding himself of his resolution.

Malatesta leaned towards Taylor, drawing him from his thoughts, as he caught sight of the excited gleam in the pirates eye. "I got three things to tell you about raiding, Taylor.  _One,_  don't die." The captain explained, as Arachnid soldiers took aim at the boom chain, only for their bullets to ricochet harmlessly off the heavy links.

"Don't die, gotcha!" Taylor said, chopping a cocky salute at the pirate captain. "Way ahead of you on that one, Professor Chaos, sir!"

He turned away with a snigger, as Raj tossed out swords and daggers to people from the armory cabinet. "So what if they got guns!" The large boy demanded hotly, scowling as whipped a sword through the air, and promptly dropped it to the deck. "We're gonna slice, dice,  _and_  julienne them!" He said firmly, before his scowl faded suddenly, and his hands fell to his stomach. "... That just made me hungry."

"Over here, Raj!" Taylor huffed fondly, holding out his hand. He carefully snatched the cutlass Raj tossed him from the air, taking a few test swings, before twirling it in his fingers.

 _"Secondly,_  the sea's as much a weapon as any blade." Malatesta continued, eyeing Taylors twirling with a brow raised in surprise, clearly impressed at his skill with a blade. "Use her to your advantage." He said, shaking his head as Taylor ceased his twirling and looked out over the stretch of water between the Dorado and the speedboat, noting that they were closing the distance rapidly. He turned with a raised brow, as Jake pulled out a rope net covered in iron weights.

"This looks good incase we need to subdue a bunch of them..." The pilot said, clicking his tongue on his cheek as he quickly folded it down and handed it to Raj, who had given up on blades.

"And  _three,"_  Malatesta roared, standing up on the railing. "Take no prisoners!" He cheered loudly, as the others all exchanged a brief glance.

"... Except, you know, our friends." Diego said slowly, his eyes wide as he looked the captain over dubiously. "Who  _are_  prisoners... 'cause we  _want_  them."

Yvonne and Malatesta grabbed at free hanging ropes, and Taylor scrambled up onto the railing to follow their example; along with Jake, Estela and Raj. "Hey, Boy Scout..." Jake murmured from beside him, drawing Taylors attention. He turned towards his pilot, and found himself suddenly on the receiving end of a blistering kiss, stealing his breath in the brief second that it lasted. "Good luck kiss time." The pilot snickered, as Taylor stared in shock for a moment, before his expression melted into a euphoric grin.

"Once we get back, I'll give you a celebratory one..." He promised quietly, snickering as Jake winked at him and flashed him a bright smile.

 _"A'labordage!"_  Yvonne cried, drawing Taylor from his heated gaze with Jake with a guilty start.

He grinned, donning a rough pirate squint, as he aimed his cutlass into the air and opened his mouth to release his own battle cry. "For Sean and Craig!" He yelled gruffly, sniggering as Jake and Estela both huffed with amusement.

Michelle stepped forward to the railing, and shook her fist towards the other vessel. "That's right!" She cried, encouragingly as hoisted on ropes, Taylor and the others swung onto the Arachnid speedboat. Sean and Craig's eyes widened as they watched Taylor land on the rear deck, struggling against their bonds eagerly.

" **Enemy sighted**." An Arachnid soldier said, raising their gun towards Taylors party, only for Aleister to hurry forward. Taylors scowl softened, though he did his best to mask his concern and affection, as he met Aleister's relieved gaze with a brief wink.

"Stop!  _Don't_  shoot!" His friend demanded, stepping between them all and forcing the soldier to lower his weapon. "All of you,  _stand down_!" He said firmly, scowling around the remaining troops.

 **"What?!"**  One soldier cried incredulously, gesturing towards Taylors party with obvious disbelief. " **We're literally, being attacked!"**

"I represent Everett Rourke here, and I  _order_  you to stand down!" Aleister snarled, moving forward to clip the soldiers helmet demeaningly. The other soldiers looked across one another, slowly and reluctantly complying with the order. Aleister's eyes scanned their group, his expression riddled with shock, disbelief and relief; though Taylor suspected his friends chose not to see the final emotion. "You're alive... You're  _all_  alive!"

"No thanks to  _you."_  Estela snarled, glaring at the pale boy with a wild and savage hatred, which Taylor had only ever seen on her face once before; when facing down Lila.

Aleister paused, his gaze meeting Taylors as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Father said you'd tried to escape. That you were all gunned down. That you'd all rather die, than be his prisoner." He said slowly, looking around them all in obvious relief, but clearly noting the missing faces.

"Get a grip, Malfoy." Jake growled, as Taylor glanced in his direction briefly, before looking back at Aleister. "For how smart you act, you're good at playing dumb when it's convenient." The pilot snorted, eyeing Aleister in obvious disgust.

"That's not-" Aleister began to defend himself, only for Jake to cut over the top of him, scowling at the pale boy.

"Think about it." Jake snarled, pointing to Aleister accusingly. "Your father has lied to you, your entire life. Why, would  _this_  be any different?!" He demanded furiously.

"Aleister, Rourke ordered Lila to kill everyone, the moment you left with Grace." Taylor explained gently, as the pale boys eyes widened slightly, and he looked away as he swallowed thickly.

"C'mon, Boy Scout, don't leave it at that. Can't leave out Daddy Weirdbucks's final move..." Jake said, as Taylor shook his head pleadingly.

"Jake, don't-" he began, only for Jake to cut him off, fury radiating from him as he recalled the near miss they'd had, while Aleister looked between them in confusion.

"See, Phony Stark; he decided he was gonna keep Taylor in one of his little freeze pods." Jake said, ignoring Taylor as he pleaded for the pilot to stop. "Took him aside, taunted him real good, made him believe he could bargain to save us. He made him-" Jake paused, visibly struggling to force the words past his lips.

"Taylor was willing to sacrifice a lot." Estela said pointedly, glancing Jake before glaring at Aleister once again. "Just to spare us, he offered total obedience. Total loyalty; even if Rourke-"

"Okay,  _seriously,_  enough! Guys!" Taylor cried, his disapproving frown darting between both Estela and Jake as they ignored him. "This isn't-"

"That  _bastard_  made him kneel, like some kinda slave! Threatened to give him to Lundgren! Like some kinda-!" Jake snarled, scowling at Aleister until Taylor moved to his side and grabbed his shoulder roughly.

"Jake,  _stop!"_  He yelled, scowling at his pilot, as Jake finally turned towards him, pain and fury in his gaze.  _"Stop!_  Just... stop. It didn't happen, okay?  _This,_  is  _not_  helping." He said, reassuring and rebuking in one. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked back at Aleister, who had paled considerably; despite his already pale complexion. His eyes widened as he gazed at Taylor in horror, his hands shaking as his chest caved, as if he'd just been punched. "Aleister; don't-"

"I... I didn't know. I  _swear._  I'm  _so_  sorry!" The pale boy choked, disgust, horror and guilt twisting across his face. Taylor raised his hands in placation, fully aware that Aleister hadn't known the extent of Rourke's belittlement and desperately wishing he could say so.

"Like  _hell_  you are!" Estela fumed, staring at Aleister hatefully, her hands gripping her spear tightly. "If you're so 'sorry', why are our friends tied up, and held at gunpoint?" She demanded, as Aleister ran a hand nervously through his hair, clearly still distressed by the revelation of events at  **MASADA.**

The pale boys eyes darted over everyone frantically, before settling on Taylor brokenly. "It's... it's  _complicated."_  He hedged awkwardly, finally looking away as he worried a nail.

Mike strode over to Aleister, his bionic eye glinting menacingly. "Sir, the hostages are our first priority." He said, the words clipped and efficient, no emotion or personality to his tone.

"Mike, you'd  _never_  go along with this!" Jake cried, his eyes wide as he shook his head in disbelief. "Is  _any_  of you left in there?" He demanded, staring at his friend in desperation. " _Wake up!"_  He cried brokenly, as Taylors hand slipped into his own, squeezing to offer what comfort and reassurance he could.

A chill passed through Taylors heart, as Mike remained still as a statue, save for his arms, as he leveled a gun at Jake. He scowled at the soldier, stepping closer to Jake's side, and just catching the faint tilt of Mike's head at the slight movement. Before he could think any more on the reaction though, Malatesta began to wave his pistol restlessly.

"This is an awful lot of talking for a raid." The pirate captain huffed in exasperation, frowning around then all irritably. "We fighting, or not?"

"Taylor..." Aleister called, his expression guarded as he glanced at Mike briefly. "Please, just walk away. I don't want to hurt you..." He said firmly, as Taylor flashed him a cocky grin and raised his cutlass.

"We're not leaving, without Craig and Sean." He said, winking at Aleister coyly. "But, if you wanna just hand them over, then sure; we can all just, be on our way."

Aleister sighed, pursing his lips briefly, before appearing to nod in resignation. "So be it." He said quietly, before gesturing for the Arachnid troops to move forward. "Guards, capture them! Keep them  _alive!"_  He ordered sharply, scowling as the soldiers took up a defensive position around Aleister, Craig and Sean.

"Yvie..." Malatesta hummed quietly, looking around the soldiers thoughtfully. "Ye still got your 'perfume'?" He asked, glancing towards her with a fond grin and a raised eyebrow.

Yvonne chuckled, flashing a cocky grin and wink at the captain. "I never leave shore without it." She confirmed, producing a small ball with a pin in the center. Malatesta took it, bit the pin and threw it towards the troops. A smoke screen poured rapidly from the bomb, creating confusion around the soldiers.

Sensing his opportunity, Taylor quickly released Jake's hand and dashed into the smoke, diving around the soldiers and rolling to the far side of the boat.  _"Taylor!"_  Aleister whispered furiously, glancing at the soldiers quickly, before dropping to crouch a short distance from Taylor. "What're you playing at, you  _fool?!"_  The pale boy demanded, before his expression twisted with guilt suddenly. "Taylor, I truly am-"

"Aleister, shut up. We don't have time for this crap." Taylor said quickly, glancing towards the smoke as the Arachnid troops fended off his friends initial attacks. "We both knew there was a chance Rourke would decide to kill everyone, it was a risk. I admit, the rest was... a  _shock."_  He said, shrugging indifferently. "But we got away. Lila saved us... And now, we have a chance to save  _you."_  Taylor said imploringly, reaching out to clasp Aleister's shoulder. "Please, Aleister... Come with us."

"Taylor I can't, Grace is still-" the pale boy paused, swallowing heavily as he smiled at Taylor thinly. "I have information for you... Regarding your pilot's friend." He said, unsubtly changing the subject.

 _"Mike?"_  Taylor choked, glancing towards the red soldier, as he easily fought off Malatesta. "What about him? You know what they did to him?" He asked, firmly trampling the bitterness which tried to surge, reminding himself that to save Mike; would mean to save Jake.

"In a manner..." Aleister said awkwardly, tipping his head towards the man himself. "It was not pleasant, lets leave the details at that. Suffice to say however, that I've found his programming."

 _"Programming?!"_  Taylor choked, his eyes widening at the confession. He looked down at the floor, before looking up at Aleister in disbelief. "You mean he's-"

"It's complex." Aleister sighed, running a hand through his hair distractedly, ignoring Taylors outburst. "I haven't been able to hack into it yet, but you should know. He's  _fighting_  it. Somewhere in that obedient husk, the man indeed remains."

Taylor sighed, shaking his head as he tried to accept the information. His heart ached, the implications of the startling revelation huge. "I..." He stammered, his words failing him as he looked up at the man in red armour. He swallowed heavily, thinking of his pilot, and how much it would mean to him; to know there was a way to save Mike. "But you think you can? Hack it, I mean?" He asked finally, tearing his gaze from the soldier to look back at his friend imploringly.

"Given enough time and resources, I believe so, yes." The pale boy confirmed with a shrug, as Taylor grimaced at the thought of him returning to his dubious role as a spy. "Taylor, take this." Aleister said suddenly, slipping him a small, folded piece of paper. "This is where my father moved us to after  **MASADA**  overheated..."

"Oh joy,  _more_  top secret facilities to break into." He snorted, tucking the paper into an interior pocket without looking at it. "Because it was just  _so_  much fun the first time..." He said, winking at Aleister sarcastically. He bit his lip, and took his friends hand in his own. "Aleister... Be careful, and good luck."

"Come as soon as you're able, Taylor. We must get the Heart away from my father, before he can completely drain its power." Aleister said, squeezing his hand briefly, before sighing and tapping his chin. "Now, I believe you should have the honour of pleasing the masses."

Taylor chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his neck reluctantly, until Aleister nodded sharply. "If you insist..." He sighed, reluctantly drawing back his arm and curling his hand into a fist. "Just for the record though; I am against this, and I take no pleasure in it..." He said, as Aleister snorted. Without waiting a moment longer, he slammed his fist into his friends jaw, sending him sprawling to the deck with a wince.  _"Sorry!"_  He whispered, looking up at the Arachnid troops as they seemed to gain the upper hand.

" **Stay together**!" One yelled, drawing the other soldiers towards him. Taylor scowled, glancing down at Aleister, who waved him off as he rolled his eyes.

Taylor grinned and pushed to his feet, rushing toward the group of soldier and launching himself straight into them.  _"Whoaa!"_  He cried, as he barrelled into them, separating them and driving one to the floor; using them as a cushion to break his fall.

He scrambled back to his feet, turning to look back through the haze, as his friends finally managed to begin working their way into the Arachnid defenses. "Oh,  _crap..."_  He murmured, raising his cutlass defensively and stepping back, as he saw two fists crackling with electricity come into focus.

"Ready to dance, kid?" A soldier sneered, just as Malatesta's ship rocked hard into the speedboat from the tossing waves. A metal pail rolled across the deck beside Taylor, and he suddenly recalled what the pirate captain had said to him before swinging over the waves. He glanced around quickly, as the Arachnid soldier recovered, bounding forward to throw an electric fist towards Taylors face. He scowled as they aimed their punch high, crouching and sweeping his leg at their feet, throwing her off balance once more. "Wh-wha?!" They gasped, as the ship lurched to one side, and the soldier was flung into the railing.

Taylor pressed his advantage, and grabbed the soldier by the ankle, tossing them over into the water. "Looks like you're all,  _washed up."_  He sniggered, saluting them briefly before turning around smugly.

He locked his eyes onto Craig, laughing when he saw the jock was cheering appreciatively through his gag. " _Chyuh, gt summ_!" He bowed with a flourish, swishing his coat about his legs as he stood back up again with a wink.

A sudden wind cleared smoke from the ship, and Taylor gasped at the chaotic battlefield which was revealed. Varyyn had climbed toward the helm of the ship, engaging Mike, and a flurry of expert blows and dodges flew between them. "As the humans say, 'get wrecked'!" The Elyyshar growled, as Mike snarled and redoubled his efforts to drive the Vaanti back.

"I've never been so proud!" Diego cheered from the Dorado, wisely keeping out of the fray, while throwing things at the Arachnid troops to distract them.

Taylors eyes remained glued to Mike for another moment, almost losing himself to his thoughts, as he wondered how much things might change; once Aleister had freed the man from Lundgren's control. He shook his head and tore his eyes away, trampling the sting in his heart quickly, as be looked toward the prow, where Yvonne and Malatesta were peppering the surrounding soldiers with pistol blasts. "When's the last time we did this, Yvie?" Malatesta asked curiously, firing one pistol while deftly loading another. "The Santo Domingo rum heist?"

 _"Oui,"_  Yvonne confirmed, squinting as she shot at two soldiers at once. "That was a good night. And good rum!" She laughed joyfully, as she quickly reloaded and twirled to fire at another soldier.

Taylor turned towards the rear deck, where he saw Estela bend backwards to dodge a punch. Jake closed his hand around the fist, and sent the soldier reeling, as Raj hid behind them both, clutching the weighted net and repeating the same sentence to himself. "Just get through this, and you can say you raided with pirates. Just get through-" his heart swelled for his friend, and he moved to help the group, only to scowl as two guards suddenly cut off his view of the rest of the boat. He took a step backwards, raising his cutlass defensively, and winced as the soldiers laughed; one raising a beat stick, and the other a pistol.

"Uh..." He balked, swallowing heavily, as he shifted his weight awkwardly.  _Okay... So,I may need a little help with these guys after all_... He thought, biting his lip as he glanced over at his friends. His eyes met Jake's, as his pilot glanced over with a scowl, and Taylor felt his heart leap at the chance to fight with his pilot again. "Top Gun, little help on the flank?" He called, twirling his blade distractingly.

"On it, Boy Scout!" Jake yelled back, rolling under a guard which Estela had speared down, and flinging a dagger to catch one of the two Arachnid soldiers in the hand.

 _"Rrrgh!"_  The soldier yelled, dropping the gun as they raised their hand instinctively. Seconds later, Jake wrestled them to the ground, and Taylor took the opportunity to knock the beat stick from the other soldiers hands. He rammed the butt of his sword on the soldiers head, and sniffed as they slumped over, out cold.

"Heh, thanks Top Gun." He sniggered, as Jake got back to his feet with a grin, the soldier he'd taken down out cold.

"Hey, I'll watch your flank anytime." He said, throwing Taylor a cocky wink as he grasped his shoulder briefly. Taylor looked up at his pilot and bit his lip, a curl of guilt twisting his stomach viciously.

"Jake, there's something I have to tell you." He said suddenly, gripping Jake's jacket sleeve urgently. "It's important, I-"

"Later, Boy Scout." Jake said, winking down at him, as he broke free of Taylors grip easily. "Below deck, right?" He called over his shoulder, as he ran across the deck to help Estela and Raj tip a large Arachnid over the railing.

Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.  _Yeah, 'cause I really wanna talk about **Mike**  when I have you to myself_... He thought sourly, before immediately scolding himself. He shook his head and forced everything aside, focusing on rescuing Sean and Craig, as the path finally opened up between them. Just as he reached his friends, he froze; upon seeing Mike aim a gun at his head, the soldier having been driven back by Varyyn. He saw the brief flicker of some emotion, buried deep within the soldiers flesh eye, before Aleister suddenly shoved the gun from the soldiers hand.

"Do  _not_  kill them!" The pale boy screamed, as Taylor exhaled in a loud gasp, dropping to quickly remove the gags from his friends faces. The pair immediately began to cough, and stretched their jaws appreciatively.

 _"Taylor!"_  Sean exclaimed, his hands reaching to clasp Taylors tightly. "You're here!" He cried in obvious disbelief and relief, as Taylor sniggered.

"Yeah, Taylor is!" Craig cheered, tipping his chin towards Taylor eagerly. "We owe you  _big time_!" The jock laughed, as Taylor rolled his eyes and quickly moved behind the pair.

While Jake, Yvonne, Malatesta and Varyyn defended him, Taylor hastily cut through their ties. Before he could do anything else, Sean's tall frame arched over him.  _"Duck!"_  The athlete cried urgently.

Taylor obediently dropped down, as Sean reached over him and caught an Arachnid operative by their baton, twisting it from their grip and smacking them hard over the head. As the soldier hit the deck, unconscious, Sean gazed down at Taylor with his chest heaving. "Taylor... I'll  _never_  let you down again." The athlete promised brokenly.

 _"What?!"_  Taylor balked, scurrying tk his feet quickly, as he looked up at the athlete in confusion. "Sean-" he began, only to cut off abruptly, as he caught sight of a second speedboat in the distance, rushing toward them with dozens more Arachnids troops.

Jake cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair in irritation, as he scowled at the approaching vessel. "Jesus, how many people did Lundgren  _recruit?"_  He snarled, shaking his head in disgust. "Being Arachnid used to mean something."

"Take Aleister!" Estela ordered quickly, as she backed away towards the pirate ship. "They won't harm us if we have him!"

 _"What?!_  No!" Taylor choked, as Yvonne aimed her gun at the pale boy, and gestured towards the Dorado.  _"This,_  is a terrible idea! Let's just-"

"Cross over to our ship." Yvonne ordered coldly glaring at Aleister as the pale boy hesitated, a faint bruise already visible on his chin.

"-ignore Taylor completely..." Taylor sighed, realising that nobody was going to listen to him. He shook his head, scratching his neck guiltily as he glanced at Aleister, his friend seeming to have come to the same conclusion.

"I've already tried to tell you-" Aleister hedged, shaking his head as he raised his palms in surrender.

 _"Va!"_  Yvonne barked, thumbing back the hammer on her pistol. " _Tout suite_!" She ordered, jerking the pistol toward the Dorado, as she stepped around him.

Taylor bit his lip as he met Aleister's gaze briefly, before the pale boy reluctantly jumped the narrow gap between the two vessels. Yvonne nodded to Taylor, covering them all as the rest of the group escaped.

"Oh, come on!" He protested as he reached the deck, frowning as he saw Michelle was already tying Aleister up. "Is  _this_  really who we are?!"

"It's fine, Taylor, after all this is only the same treatment Sean and Craig received-  _Ack!"_  He cried suddenly, scowling up at Michelle as she gave a particularly vicious tug on her bindings. "Th-that hurts!"

"Good!" The blonde snapped back, scowling down at the pale boy, as he averted his gaze with a scoff.

"Michelle!" Sean called, moving towards her quickly, as the blondes eyes filled with tears.

"Sean... Are you alright?" She asked, her hands rising to his chest as he stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her securely. "Are you hurt?"

"Guys, we gotta go!" Craig yelled, rushing over with wide eyes as he gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. "The other ship is coming!"

"We're not going  _anywhere,_  without Mike." Jake growled, scowling at Craig for the suggestion. Taylor bit his lip, struggling to contain the surge of jealousy he felt at the pilots vehement proclamation.

Diego pointed upwards, and Taylor followed his finger to see a figure hovering in the sky above them. "I, uh, think he feels the same way..." He said hesitantly, backing away slightly, as Mike's jetpack brought him down onto the deck.

"Hey, looks like you fixed that leak up..." Taylor said, clicking his tongue, as Mike gazed over at him blankly.

The soldier turned towards Yvonne, the pirate focusing her pistol on the pqle boy once more. "Return Aleister to the Arachnid vessel." He said emotionlessly, his eyes; both mechanical and flesh, revealing nothing.

"Or  _what?"_  Jake sneered, stepping toward his former partner. Mike engaged his jetpack to punch Jake, but the pilot quickly ducked, and grappled him to the floorboards. They rolled together, trading haphazard blows; as Taylor looked on in silent horror. For all his attempts to tell himself that he wasn't jealous, that he had resolved his issues with Mike; he could not deny the sinking of his heart as he watched the pair brawl together.

"This isn't good." Estela warned, snapping Taylor from his self absorption with a start. "The longer this fight draws out..."

"... Jake." Taylor called, his voice unusually brittle, as Jake glanced up at him briefly. "Make him remember!" He urged, recalling Aleister's assurance that the man was still fighting within the programming.

"I'll try!" Jake called back, rolling atop Mile and pinning his arms down. Taylor swallowed heavily, the intimate positioning causing his heart to ache. "Remember that time in basic training, when we filled the shower heads with sand, and we had latrine duty for weeks?" Jake demanded, gazing down at Mike intently, though the other man remained impassive and unmoved. "Or, what about that time we got our C.O's radio stuck on the kids channel, and had to listen to Dora the Explorer for two hours on loop?" The pilot implored, his expression twisting with grief, as Mike remained a blank slate beneath him.

Taylor watched with an aching heart, as Jake's face fell, his lip trembling as he stared down st Mike brokenly, his breath hitching as he pushed himself to keep going. "... Or the  _crap_  that Lundgren did? Or how he almost  _killed_  us for finding him out?" He pleaded, tried twisting his expression as his clear eyes darkened with pain. "Or my own freaking  _name?!"_  He screamed in frustration, punching the floorboards and almost looking ready to turn away and give up, when Taylor saw the other mans expression flicker at last.

A shiver seemed to pass over Mike's face, his flesh eye clouded by something which couldn't quite reach the surface, as his throw visibly constricted; trying to contain whatever he was trying to say. "...  _Grandpa..."_  Mike bit out weakly, as Jake's gaze focused on him once more.

"Mike?" He choked, his eyes wide as he looked down at his former partner eagerly, hope lighting his eyes, as Taylors dimmed with pain. "Mike, can you hear me?!" Jake pleaded, his grip loosening in his eagerness. Taylor saw the soldiers expression shutter closed again, sensing an opening. Mike leaped to his feet and punched Jake square in the chest, sending him sprawling to Taylors feet.  _"Argh!"_  The pilot gagged.

 _"No!"_  Taylor choked, dropping to his knees over Jake, his heart hammering in fear as he stared down at the pilot in horror. "Jake!  _Jake..!"_  He called, reaching for the pilots cheek, only to recoil as Jake coughed up blood. "Oh my god, no, no,  _no..._  Jake!" He groaned, his eyes filling with tears.  _"Michelle!"_  He called desperately, looking up to see the blonde had already rushed over.

"Mouse,  _stop!"_  Aleister ordered, staring in horror at Jake's injury, before scowling at the red clad soldier. "That's  _enough!"_

"No more time." Mike growled, scowling around them as they backed away to gather around Taylor and Jake protectively. "We must go." He said in clipped bursts, moving awkwardly towards Aleister, but before he could grab him away, Sean stepped towards the pale boy.

 _"Wait!"_  The athlete cried, as Taylor shook his head, and turned back to Jake, his fingers brushing the pilots cheek softly, wiping away a small smudge of blood which remained. Jake grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, holding it beside his cheek as he stared up at him brokenly.

"It's gonna be okay..." He whispered, nodding reassuringly as his heart clenched in his chest the pilots pain stinging him worse than his own turbulent emotions. "You'll see... I promise, Jake... You'll be okay." He said, hiccupping as tears dripped from his eyes to Jake's cheek. He pulled Jake's hand to his lips and kissed it firmly, before looking up at Sean with a deep sigh. "Sean, what're you  _doing?"_  He asked distractedly, as the athlete stared at Aleister, seeming lost for how to phrase whatever he wanted to say.

"We never spoke much, but..." Sean finally began, pausing as he considered briefly, before taking a deep breath and pushing on. "But I know what its like, to live in someone's shadow... You don't owe your father anything, Aleister. His praise, isn't worth this." He said, holding out his hand to the pale boy.

"Wh-what?" Aleister balked, his eyes widening as he was startled by the athletes show of understanding.

"Come  _with_  us." Sean implored, his gaze filled with compassion as he looked at Aleister. "Try to make up for your mistakes. Help us win this."

"Sean, two seconds ago, he had you at gunpoint!" Michelle cried, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You sure picked...  _Kff..._  A good time to have... Stockholm Syndrome, Pretty Boy." Jake groused, scowling over at Sean, as Taylor looked down and shushed him quietly.

"Don't try to talk..." He said, brushing the pilots hair from his face. "Just shh, rest... Don't..." He swallowed, choking back the rest of his words as he shook his head and looked back up at his pale friend. "Aleister, Sean's right. Come with us." He said, shaking his head as he glanced over at Mike scornfully. "What you're trying to do... I think maybe it's too late. Maybe, we can find another way..." He said, watching as Aleister's eyes softened.

"Taylor, you don't mean that. I know you're hurting, but... You know I cant just walk away. You know that,  _and_  why..." Aleister said, shaking his head gently as he looked down at Jake briefly. "You would  _regret_  it." He said, wetness gleaming at the corners of his eyes. "As would _I._ "

"I knew  _you'd_  understand, Taylor." Sean said, flashing a warm smile across at him, though Taylor avoided meeting his eyes, unwilling to let anyone witness his guilt or pain.

"Are you kidding me?" Michelle demanded incredulously, staring between the two with wide eyes.

"Boy Scout..." Jake rasped, frowning up at Taylor, as he reluctantly lowered his gaze, the pilot searching his eyes in frustration. "Just because he didn't shoot us, doesn't mean he didn't load the gun." He growled quietly, scowling at Taylors grief stricken expression. "I'm not buying  _any_  of this." He said quietly, narrowing his eyes at Taylor, as he caressed the pilots brow with his thumb.

"There's more to this, than personal feelings." Taylor said stiffly, as he looked back up at Aleister, dipping his head in a half nod to show he understood the pale boys choice.

He watched Mike grabbed Aleister's arm in detachment; as the other Arachnid boat waited in the choppy waters nearby. "We must go,  _now!"_  Mike growled, scowling over at Taylor, as he tenderly swiped at Jake's clammy brow; the pilot gazing at Mike longingly.

"The die is cast." Aleister said, a glimmer of something flashing in the pale boys expression, a change taking hold in him, as he grasped Mike's suit. The two of them hovered towards the approaching speedboat, his remorseful gaze remaining locked onto Taylor.

 _"Kff-kff..."_  Jake coughed, looking after them with a broken look in his eyes. "...  _Mike..."_  He called weakly, as Taylor shushed him and gently squeezed his shoulder.

"Jake, you have a bruised lung." Michelle said urgently, her hands moving quickly to roll up his shirt and assess the damage. "I need you to stay put for right now, okay?" She said, glancing up at Taylor, who nodded distractedly.

"Just try to rest." He said soothingly, watching as the second Arachnid boat disappeared into the distance. He looked down as Jake held his chest, and lowered his head, his hair falling into his face. Taylors heart broke, at the show of vulnerability, and he leaned close to the pilots ear, murmuring quietly and reassuringly. "We'll  _find_  him, and we'll  _fix_  him... I  _promise."_  He said, as Michelle moved away to gather some materials, while the rest of the group all gathered on the prow.

 _"Taylor..."_  Jake huffed, his hand reaching back blindly for Taylors, which he quickly slid into the pilots tight grasp. "Don't... don't..." He choked quietly, his shoulders tensed tightly as he held back his grief.

"I'm not going anywhere." Taylor assured quietly, squeezing Jake's hand as he pressed his lips to the pilots temple. "It's okay. This time, _I got you."_  He soothed, as Jake's shoulders finally shook beneath him.

"Taylor, can you help me get him below deck?" Michelle asked as she returned, her arms laden with her entire medical supply. He nodded silently, and gripped Jake beneath his shoulders gently, helping the pilot to his feet. He looped Jake's arm around his neck, and led him below deck, setting him on a lower hammock so he could kneel beside him.

"I had  _plans_  for what we were gonna do down here," Jake groused, as Taylor helped Michelle carefully remove the pilots shirt and jacket.  _"Agh... This,_  this weren't part of 'em." He complained, as Michelle checked him over and applied an ointment she'd made from the healing leaves they'd discovered at The Celestial.

"This might not do much but heal the external bruising... It's kinda the only thing I can really do for you right now, though." Michelle explained quietly, spreading the ointment thinly over his already bruising chest gently. "Just, get some rest. We can take another look later." She said, glancing at Taylor briefly, before heading out the door and leaving them alone.

Taylor sat silent beside Jake's hammock, his thumb stroking the pilots hand gently as he considered all that had happened in such a short space of time. "So... how 'bout that celebration?" Jake said quietly, startling Taylor as he looked up with a faint huff, to see his pilot watching him intently.

"I don't know that there's an awful lot to celebrate just now, Top Gun..." He replied, shifting closer to lean forward and toy with the pilots dog tags lightly. "Besides, I think Michelle would yell at me. She said you had to rest, and she gave me that look."

"The one with the-?" Jake asked, making an light gesture with his hand and furrowing his brow, bringing a small smile to Taylors lips.

"Yeah, that's the one." He said, biting his lip as Jake sighed and rolled his eyes. "Hey, I always said one day all that denying me would come back at you." He said, drawing a faint chuckle from Jake, as the pilot looked up at him with a pout. "You'll be fine soon.  _Then,_  I'll let you do  _anything_  you want." He promised, sniffing as he huffed a weak laugh.

Jake frowned, reaching up to wipe away the dampness beneath Taylors eyes, only for him to flush and draw away, scrubbing his arm over them himself. "Get in here." The pilot said, offering his arm and shifting over slightly, as Taylor snorted and shook his head.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." He said, chuckling quietly as he looked back at his pilot fondly. His heart cramped with guilt, and he quickly looked down at his lap, wondering if he should have forced the pilot to listen when he'd tried to explain about Mike, if it might have prevented his being hurt.

 _"Urgh..."_  Jake groaned, as he shifted in the hammock, drawing Taylors head up as he tried to stop the pilot from getting up.

"No, Jake,  _stop!"_  He muttered quickly, trying to soothe the pilot and make him lay back down, and failing miserably as Jake swung his legs over the hammock and moved himself to the floor, leaning back against the wall and dragging Taylor to his side. "You're supposed to be resting-" Taylor protested, trying to squirm away without jostling the pilot.

"I  _am_  resting." Jake groused roughly, wincing and tensing briefly, before relaxing against the wall again. "With my Boy Scout blanket." He snickered weakly, squeezing the arm he held around Taylors shoulders.

 _"Jake..."_  Taylor sighed, stopping his struggles at last as he groaned and leaned his head back on the pilots shoulder. "What am I gonna  _do_  with you?" He huffed, tracing his finger over the pilots collarbone gently.

"Ya know, its funny you say that, 'cause I had some very particular ideas about that..." Jake drawled, chuckling as he leaned forward to nuzzle Taylors brow lightly. Taylor rolled his eyes, grinning despite himself as Jake drew back and met his gaze. "... Thanks."

"For what?" Taylor asked, frowning slightly as Jake's eyes filled with affection and pain alike.

"Stayin'. Trying to help... I know, ya ain't exactly  _keen_  on him, and you've got your issues but..." Jake hedged awkwardly, trying to tiptoe around Taylors unpredictable feelings. "I couldn't of faced that, faced  _him,_  without you."

"I'm not sure I did much good..." Taylor said quietly, his fingers lightly grazing the ointment Michelle had applied. Jake snatched up his hand before he could withdraw it, raising it to his lips as Taylor watched and bit his own.

"You were  _there._  Even though you..." Jake paused, shrugging his shoulder slightly, and hissing as the movement jostled his chest. "You  _stayed."_  The pilot finally said, squeezing Taylors shoulders and resting his cheek against the top of his head.

Taylor bit his lip guiltily, his heart aching with the weight of Aleister's information. He wrestled with himself for several long minutes, the silence between them comfortable, despite his growing sense of urgency to confess. "Jake..?" He murmured finally, "Jake, there's something I have to-" he broke off suddenly, as he shifted to look up at the pilot, only to find his eyes closed. He bit his lip, debating waking him, but decided to wait awhile and let his pilot rest instead, allowing the guilt in his heart some time to fester.

For the next hour, Taylor sat in his pilots hold, thinking of all the choices he'd made so far in their time on the island; wondering if he'd chosen wrongly somewhere along the way or if there might have been some way to have saved Mike already and prevented the fiasco which the raid had proven to be. He prodded at his past lives in the time loop, but at a flash of Mike and Jake unknowingly ending each others lives, in the awful version of events in Jake's catalyst idol, he rapidly shoved his memories away, unwilling to view his pilot in any worse condition than he was already in. Finally he couldn't take it any longer, and he carefully squirmed free of his pilots arm, quickly heading out the door and up to the deck; desperate fornfresh air to clear away his rapidly darkening thoughts.

He found the nearest railing and braced his arms against it, taking deep gulps of air and slowly calming himself down. "Hey," said a voice, making him jump and spin around quickly, his hand on his heart as he found himself facing a concerned Diego.  _"Sorry!_  I just, I came to see how you were doing..." He said, as Taylor rolled his eyes and turned around again, leaning forward over the railing. "That good, huh?" Diego said, leaning back beside Taylor so he could examine his gloomy expression.

"... I should have done  _more."_  He said finally, glancing up at his friend as he released an explosive sigh. "I should have known about Mike  _sooner,_  I should have figured it out. I should have known about Rourke, and the bastards plans... I should have known about The End-" he choked off, gripping the rail tightly as he hung his head and grit his teeth in irritation. He raised his head and looked at his friend, finally voicing the words which had tormented him since his meeting with The Endless. "This is  _all_  my fault." He said brokenly, as Diego stared at him in wide eyed shock.

"Dude, I think maybe you should be resting with Jake..." Diego said slowly, as Taylor sighed in frustration and looked away. "I mean it Taylor, you can't blame yourself for everything that's happened... This whole, alternate pasts thing, the memories of it; dude, I'd say its pretty unfamiliar territory! You can't just be expected to be able to navigate all that without some sort of roadmap..." He said, as Taylor stared vacantly put to sea. Thebolive skinned boy glanced around briefly, moving away from Taylors side briefly, before returning moments later. "Okay, look, demonstration time..." Diego said, raising a dagger in his hand and waving it before Taylors eyes, before tossing it off the ship. "Was that your fault?"

"No, but I think Captain Birdseye is gonna throw you overboard to go find that later..." Taylor choked, leaning over the railing to peek down at the waves lapping at the hull. "What the hell was that supposed to prove anyway?"

"Shut up, not finished yet." Diego said, holding another dagger in his hand and waving it before Taylors eyes similarly to the first. Just as he was about to throw it over the side, Taylor grabbed his wrist, only for Diego to quickly use his free hand to grab the dagger and toss it over anyway. "Was  _that_  your fault?" He asked, as Taylor scowled at him.

"Dude, what does you being an idiot have to do with anything?" He groused, scowling as Diego held up a third dagger with a mischievous grin. "You have cabin fever, don't you? You've gone mad while I was below deck..." Taylor sighed, grabbing Diego's wrist, before quickly snagging his other hand as well, twisting gently to topple the dagger to the decking.

"Taylor, sometimes, you have to make mistakes to learn." Diego said, beaming a huge grin up at Taylor, as he raised a dubious brow. "Look, all your past memories, they can be used to help, right? And just like with this  _amazing_  demonstration; it takes a few tries to understand. Taylor, you've saved us time and again... But don't be too hard on yourself if the odd memory, takes a few re-runs to sink in." He said, gesturing to the railing where he'd tossed away two daggers. "Sometimes changing things doesn't make it better, but you can still learn from the result." He added, looking down to the dagger on the deck.

Taylor frowned, eyeing his friend dubiously for a moment, before breaking out in a small grin. "I still think you have cabin fever, but uh, I  _get your point."_  He said, sniggering as Diego rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You know, Varyyn actually makes better puns than you do. He only started learning English like, six months ago." He snorted, bumping his fist to Taylors affectionately. He shook his head, before tipping it towards the others, sat at the prow exchanging stories of their time apart.

"Taylor!" Raj exclaimed, shifting over as he and Diego approached. "We rescued Sean and Craig!" He said excitedly, as Taylor laughed.

"Buddy, I've never been happier to see you! Come here!" Craig grinned, sharing a hug with Raj, the pair slapping each others backs loudly. Taylor looked round with a fond huff, as he spotted Malatesta and Yvonne, busy looting the still chained speedboat. "Yvie, ye better not cheat me!" Malatesta growled, eyeing Yvonne suspiciously. "We loot together!"

"Mal, do you think I would steal from  _you?"_  Yvonne asked coyly, winking at Taylor as she turned a predatory grin to Malatesta. " _Because you're_   _right."_  She chuckled, as Taylor shook his head and turned away.

"Sean..." Michelle sighed, her arms tightly locked around the athletes shoulders, as he held her close. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Same to you." Sean said, beaming a wide grin down at her. "We still have plenty more to catch up on." The athlete said fondly, as he glanced up and met Taylors eyes, pausing suddenly and gently pulling away from the blonde. "First though, I should probably check in with Taylor..." He said, as Michelle nodded shyly. He squeezed her shoulder gently, before jogging over towards Taylor. "Hey, how's-"

"He's just resting." Taylor said quickly, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets, his heart clenching briefly at the thought of his injured pilot. "Much to his disgust." He added with an affectionate snort, as Sean finally came to a halt before him. His broad hands gripped at the side of Taylors arms, as though to check he was real. "Uh..."

"You're  _really_  here." Sean said, as Taylor tilted his head in confusion. "You really made it." He said, shaking his head in disbelief.

 _"Annnd,_  so did  _you..."_  Taylor said slowly, patting Sean's arms awkwardly, as he grinned up at him.

Sean's face fell, and Taylor frowned as he noticed tears in the athletes eyes, glinting in the light. "Taylor, I'm sorry." Sean said, hanging his head as Taylor blinked and looked around uncertainly.

"Uh..." He hummed curiously, his nose wrinkling as he tried to think of any reason the athlete should apologize to him. "For... what..?" He finally asked, when he drew up blank.

"What do you mean, for what?!" Sean cried, releasing Taylors arms as he ran his hands over his hair. "I wasn't there for you when you fell out of the helicopter. I didn't have a plan. I couldn't protect everyone." Sean ranted, his hands curling into fists atop his head.

"Um, since when do people make plans for falling out of helicopters..?" Taylor asked, frowning over at Sean as the athlete seemed to grow more distressed. "Sean, really... It  _wasn't_  your fault. As someone who very recently had this  _same_  lesson forcibly pointed out to them, I feel I should tell you; not everything is your fault, dude." He said, patting Sean's arm awkwardly.

"Taylor, you haven't seen Zahra yet... have you?" Craig asked, cutting off their conversation as he looked over hopefully.

Taylor felt his heart constrict at the jocks pain, hesitating, before shaking his head slowly. "I'm sorry Craig, after I fell out; Yvonne dragged me outta the water, and after that I was..." He trailed off, his eyes meeting Yvonne's, as the pirate raised a brow at him. "Uh, its all been so hectic... You know? Jake and Estela found me, then we found the guys just yesterday..." He said, clearing his throat as Yvonne shook her head and turned back to her looting with Malatesta.

Craig stared down between the floorboards, as Michelle rubbed his back and offered a comforting smile. "Zahra, is the smartest out of all of us, Craig. I'm sure she's out there; either looking for us or waiting somewhere safe for us."

"She  _better_  be." The jock sighed, swallowing heavily as his expression slowly morphed into a scowl. "'Cause if she's not, Rourke's gonna  _pay!"_  He snarled, his hand clenching into a ball. "I know she's tough, but after all these weeks-"

"Hold up,  _weeks?!"_  Michelle choked, drawing back and looking around in surprise. "It's only been a few  _days_  for us."

"It's been a  _month,_  since I've seen all of you..." Quinn said, her eyes wide as she realised the differences in time they'd been experiencing.

"Great, just great." Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So, we've all been experiencing different wavelengths of time  _within_  the island..." He groaned, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"Have we ruled out being in The Matrix?" Diego asked, his eyes wide as he glanced around the group. "Or is that still a possibility?"

"Something's changed." Sean said, looking back at the island, before turning to them all ominously. "La Huerta wasn't like this before..." Yvonne stepped up beside Taylor, sharing a meaningful glance with him, until he stubbornly averted his gaze, his throat tight just at the thought of The Endless.

 _"Quinn!"_  He called, as his gaze settled on the redhead, who was leaning on the railing; her chest heaving with heavy breaths. He slipped away from Yvonne, hurrying across the deck to Quinn's side, taking her hand as she looked up at him with a sad gaze.

"It's... Ugh..." She gasped, closing her eyes briefly as she tried to regain control of herself. "It's... happening again." She explained quietly, as Sean and Craig joined them, looking at the redhead in concern.

"Is Quinn okay?" Sean asked, though Taylor ignored him, instead focusing on Quinn as he helped her back to her feet, only for Michelle and Estela to bustle him aside gently and take over.

"Not exactly." Diego explained, glancing down at Quinn worriedly, before looking back at Sean. "It's actually why we came here. A piece of The Islands Heart is nearby. And when it calls to Quinn... It seems to hurt her."

Quinn gasped, tentatively pointing toward a large atoll along the coast. "It wants me to go there." She said, pouting as she tried to push past the pain consuming her.

"The reefs are too dangerous t'ford with the ship." Malatesta said, gesturing towards the side of the ship. "We'll have to send her in a rowboat."

"S-send me...  _alone?!"_  Quinn yelped, as Taylor scowled at Malatesta, about to retort when Estela beat him to it.

"Nobody goes alone." The dark haired girl said, squeezing Quinn's shoulder gently, as she glared at Malatesta. "I'll go with her."

"You're both basically sisters to me, and sisters don't split up." Michelle said fondly, taking Estela's free hand in her own and smiling at them both.

"If  _you're_  all going _, I_  wanna go!" Raj cried, looking at the girls worriedly, as the rest of the group all declared they were going as well, leaving Malatesta to grumble in annoyance.

"A  _tamed monkey_  could do this task alone!" The pirate captain fumed, scowling around them all furiously. "Why're  _all_  of you doing this?!"

"I'm coming too!" Taylor said, grinning as Malatesta growled in frustration and turned away in disgust.

"Good." Diego said, beaming a wide grin at him, as he bumped his shoulder. "Means I don't have to worry about which hammock to use later." He sniggered, as Taylor rolled his eyes.

"Yeah? Maybe it just means you'll get to see the  _floor show_..." He said, smirking when Diego's face fell, and he began muttering to himself about traumatic imagery.

"Are ye kidding me?" Malatesta demanded, scowling at them and jabbing his finger around the group accusingly. "What kinda lily-livered, hand-holdin'-"

"We all lost each other once already." Estela said quietly, looking up at the pirate captain determinedly. "I don't think we want to split up after just finding each other." She said, blushing a deep red and clearing her throat loudly as surprised faces all turned towards her. "I mean,  _probably._  I wouldn't know." She hedged awkwardly, looking down at her feet as her cheeks all but glowed.

"Heh, guys, I think Katniss's finally opening up to us." Taylor yelped, spinning around at Jake's voice, finding the pilot leaning against the wall, a cocky grin on his face.

 _"Pff._  Whatever." Estela snorted, a sly grin spreading across her face, as Taylor stomped over to Jake; who watched his stormy approach with amusement.

 _"You_  are supposed to be  _resting!"_  Taylor growled, gripping the pilots jacket lapels, as he quickly ran his eyes over him.

"I was, then I realised my blanket was missin'." Jake drawled, winking as Taylor snorted in amusement despite himself. "Damn thing  _never_  seems to stay where I put it." Jake continued, reaching up to curl his fingers beneath Taylors chin. "Lucky me though, I found it."

"You are  _not_  forgiven." Taylor huffed hotly, despite his affectionate gaze. "If this situation were reversed, right now you'd-" he was silenced when Jake's lips met his, the gentle pressure stealing his breath and his thoughts, until he drew back a few short seconds later.

"I think what Estela was trying to say, is that we're all in this together." Diego said, smiling as Varyyn took his hand. "So nobody gets left behind, or forgotten."

"Oh, you just  _had_  to say it, didn't you?" Taylor snarked, glaring over at his friend accusingly. "How the hell am i supposed to get him to stay on the damn ship now?" He asked, as Jake shook his head, but couldn't fight the affectionate grin on his lips.

"So, where we goin'?" Jake asked, grinning broadly as Taylor groaned in resignation, taking his hand and leading him over to the others. Taylor scowled at Diego, who grinned unashamedly, whole Sean clapped Jake on the shoulder and filled him in. "Well, if we're all going, fine. Two boats should do it. I can swim down to get-  _kf-kff!"_  He broke off suddenly, coughing into his free hand, as Taylor bit his lip worriedly.

"Jake, in your condition, the  _last_  place you should be is underwater." Michelle said, folding her arms over her chest and raising her brow at him.

"Okay, deal is; you can come  _only_  if you sit in the boat, and  _rest._  I have my scuba gear in my bag, I can use that to get the piece of The Heart." Taylor said, pointing a firm finger at his pilot. "If you even so much as dip  _one toe_  in that water then so help me..."

"No sex..?" Jake hedged, pouting at him, though his lips twitched with amusement.

Taylor narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a small grin despite his best efforts. "I'd think of something  _worse._  No sex, would be the  _least_  of your worries, Top Gun." He said, looping his arms over Jake's shoulders lightly.

"Sounds serious..." Jake hummed, feigning a deep and wistful sigh. "Think I'll just... stay in the boat." He said, as Taylor giggled and bit his lip. "Though... I still remember last time you wore that wetsuit." Jake murmured, winking at Taylor, as he felt heat stain his cheeks.

"... That is a very good memory." He agreed quietly, his fingers toying with Jake's hair gently. "But, also,  _not_  about to be repeated." He said firmly, laughing as Jake rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.

Craig clapped a hand on Sean's shoulder loudly, drawing their attention towards the pair. "Looks like you're up, brah!" He cheered, as Sean's face fell.

"I... don't know if I'll be at my best right now." The athlete said, scratching his elbow awkwardly.

"No worries, I'll go on my own." Taylor said with a light shrug, ignoring the way Jake's grip tightened on the back of his shirt. "You haven't let anyone down, Sean. It's okay." He assured, smirking when the athlete stepped forward, staring between their worried faces and Taylors knowing grin. After a long moment of silence, he offered his hand to Taylor, who snickered as he accepted.  _"That's_  the spirit, Sean. Together, we can do this."

"Spoken like a born leader." The athlete said, shaking his head fondly, as his hand grasped Taylors tightly a moment longer.

"Takes one to know one, right?" Taylor asked, grinning broadly as Sean's eyes widened in surprise.

"Let us depart then!" Yvonne called, drawing the group together around her. "Prepare the rowboats!" She said, as Malatesta's face turned the colour of raw meat, his moustache twitching angrily as he glared around them all.

"Well yet not leaving me behind!" The captain swore, as Taylor sniggered. "I was promised a crew, and I can't trust you not to gallivant off on your own!" He fumed, unveiling two large rowboats under tarps on the deck. "Let's be quick, 'lubbers! While the sun's still high!"

"Great, while you do that; I'm gonna go get changed." Taylor said, moving towards the cabin door, and hurrying down to the sleeping quarters. He quickly grabbed his bag and shuffled through it, digging out his wetsuit and throwing his armour inside, before tugging his coat off.

"Is this pay per view, or a private show?" Jake drawled from the doorway, bringing a smile to Taylors lips, even as he looked over at the pilots cocky grin in exasperation.

"What will it take to make you keep still and rest?" He huffed, shaking his head as Jake waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You were supposed to stay put up there..." He added, gesturing to the deck above them.

"Oh, so you want me to go back and help with the boats, Boy Scout?" Jake said smugly, as Taylor rolled his eyes, removing his cravat and stuffing both it and his coat into his bag.

"You know full well I don't." He snarked, glancing over at the pilot as Jake sniggered, and leaned against the doorframe. He pulled his shirt off over his head, and Jake quickly fell silent, raising a brow as he ran his eyes over Taylors exposed torso.

"You know, you're missin' the whole 'tease' part of this strip tease business." The pilot pouted, pushing off from the wall and moving towards Taylor only to be warned off by a raised hand.

 _"Don't_  even try it!" Taylor snorted, as he lowered his hands to his sash and belt, his eyes remaining locked on the pilot intently. "You are not to  _touch_  or  _otherwise distract_  me from changing, else I'll make you wait outside." He said firmly, his lips twitching with amusement as Jake frowned at him.

"But-" he began, only to fall silent as Taylor raised a brow and removed his trousers, grabbing his wetsuit and stepping into it. "Hey, wait a minute-" he protested, as Taylor sniggered and pulled it up his legs, ignoring the pilots pout.

"Top Gun, I promise you can touch me all you want later, but we're kinda on a tight schedule just now..." He said, his eyes dancing with amusement as he watched Jake sulk. "I mean, how longs it take for them to get the boats ready anyway?" He added, as he threw his arms into the suit and reached back for the zip.

"Hmm..." Jake hummed, stepping forward quickly and grabbing Taylors hands, holding them behind his back as Taylor scowled at him suspiciously. "I'd say, at  _least..._  Five more minutes..." He said, a huge grin blooming on his face, as he leaned in closer.

 _"Jaaaake..."_  Taylor groaned, as the pilot kissed his throat biting his lip as he didn't dare push the pilot away, afraid to jostle his injury. "No, don't do,  _nng..._  Jake,  _please,_  not now-" he hissed, as Jake grazed his teeth over the sensitive junction between his neck and shoulder. "Bad Top Gun... Very  _bad_  Top Gun..." He groaned quietly, arching his neck for the pilot despite his protests. His heart raced, as Jake scratched a line of soft but hungry kisses along his throat. "Jake... C'mon, this isn't fair..." He mumbled, as Jake kissed along his jaw, slowing until he finally captured Taylors lips.

The pilot kissed him slowly, swiping his tongue across the seam of his lips until Taylor opened beneath him, a small groan escaping him as Jake stepped closer, his hands freeing Taylors as they slid down to squeeze his ass. Taylors hands curled into the pilots jacket, weakly pushing back, before instead pulling him closer, his reciprocating kiss intensifying as Jake swept away his remaining thoughts.

"Uh, guys?" Taylor yelped, as Diego's amused tone cut through the building haze of desire, while Jake groaned in frustration and dropped his head to Taylors shoulder in defeat. "I just thought you should know that, the boats are ready... And everyone is kinda waiting for you, so..." He said, laughing to himself.

Taylor stepped out of Jake's reach, grabbing his remaining clothes and stuffing them in his bag, before quickly zipping up his suit, scowling at his pilot reproachfully. "Bad...  _Bad,_  Top Gun." He muttered, quickly ducking around the pilot, as he watched in mild amusement.  _"No_  more touching.  _Or_  kissing." He said firmly, shaking his finger at Jake as he backed away to the door, turning as he heard Diego snigger behind him. "I just... I'm gonna... He was just-"

"Yeah, I saw what he was 'just' doing." Diego said, smirking at him knowingly, as Taylors cheeks burnt and stained a deep shade of red.

"Okay, well... I'm just, uh, I'm gonna...  _go."_  Taylor said quickly, darting out the door quickly and hurrying to the stairs, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Short Stuff, do you have  _any idea_  how long it took me to get that far?" He heard Jake complain, and bit his lip to keep from grinning at his sour tone.

"Er, yeah, kinda... I mean, we were all  _waiting_  for you guys, so..." Diego replied awkwardly, and Taylor chuckled, imagining his friend running his hand over his beard. "You couldn't have waited til we got back?" Diego snorted, and Taylor frowned at the tense silence that followed.

"Something's bothering him." He heard Jake say quietly, and he took a step back towards the sleeping quarters, biting his lip harder as the pilot sighed. "I know he has issues about Mike, part of it was to reassure him but... There's something else, and its eatin' him up. Somethin' happened, after he fell outta the chopper..."

Taylor flinched, as his teeth broke the skin of his lip, his eyes welling with tears of frustration, as he realised the extent of Jake's sight. "What do you think happened?" Diego asked, and Taylor hung his head at the concern in his friends tone. "Do you think he was hurt, like, that Rourke-"

"No, nothin' like that... Frenchie found him after he-" Jake coughed, unable to bring himself to say the words, and Taylor felt his heart clench at the pilots pain. "It's somethin' else... I just, I wanted him to know that whatever it is isn't gonna change how I feel about him, to know he can tell me..."

"Why don't you just, I dunno,  _ask_  him?" Diego snorted, as Taylor rolled his head back against the wall, smiling softly as Jake scoffed and laughed dryly.

"You ever got Taylor to talk to you when he doesn't wanna?" The pilot snarked, as Diego hummed in acknowledgment of Taylors stubbornness. "Doesn't matter how many times I try, he still puts up this wall... Thinking he's protecting everyone,  _me._  I can't seem to get through to him that I wanna be there for him, like he is for me. I mean shit, he can't stand the thought of Mike... But still, he always tries to be supportive." Jake sighed, as Taylor heard a small thud, either the pilots boot or fist colliding softly with a wall.

"Yeah, he does that..." Diego agreed with a sigh, as Taylor scowled towards the door, sticking his tongue out at the pair for good measure. "But I don't think  _sex_  is quite the gesture you're gonna need to reassure him." He added with a laugh, as Jake snorted.

"Yeah, ya got me. Part of it was just that I wanted him... He makes this little breathy sound, like-" the pilot began fondly, only for Diego to cut him off.

"Yes, thanks to  _you_  I am well aware of the sounds Taylor makes. These are things I did  _not_  need to know about my best friend." He said quickly, as Jake huffed a dry chuckle. "... Seriously? I think you just gotta give him time... He knows you're not going anywhere without him-"

"Not so sure about that..." Jake muttered wit a sigh, as Taylor bit his lip, wincing at he caught the still bleeding wound. "I wish he did though."

"Just show him... you know, while keeping your clothes on." Diego said, laughing at whatever face Jake pulled at the suggestion. "Dude, if we don't fix the world; you realise you're gonna have the entire rest of your life to get his clothes off of him?" He snorted, as Jake hummed briefly.

Taylor shifted away from the wall, hurrying up the stairs before he could hear anything more from the pair, guilt already tickling in his gut for having listened in for so long. As he walked out on deck, he felt a warmth begin to flicker in his chest, his pilots perceptiveness making his heart both heavy and light at once. He crossed over the deck to where Yvonne stood by a railing, her brow raising at his expression, though she chose to say nothing; merely gesturing to the bobbing boats below. He glanced up at her, before swinging his leg over the railing and climbing down a short ladder, sitting himself in the boat with the most space free.

 _Maybe it is time to just admit everything and get it out of the way..._  He thought, absently dipping his fingers in the water, as Diego's legs appeared over the railing.  _I can't keep it a secret forever anyway, and it'd be better coming from me than Yvonne._.. He thought, glancing up at the pirate, recalling her attempts to get him to explain about The Endless. He sighed as Diego sat beside Varyyn, and Jake quickly descended the ladder, while Yvonne hopped into the other boat.

Once they were all seated, the boats gently rowed into the atoll, following Quinn's directions. Taylor sighed, looking into the water, marvelling at the kaleidoscope if colourful fish, coral and plant life below them. He firmly pushed everything in his mind aside, focusing instead on the beautiful view of a sandy beach ahead of them.

"Welcome to Neptune Cove, a great place to show a wench a good time." Malatesta said, beaming a wide grin around the group.

"Poor wench." Yvonne said, clicking her tongue in her cheek, as Taylor frowned.

 _Neptune Cove... Why does that name sound familiar..?_  He wondered, trailing his finger through the rippling water as he tried to remember where he'd heard the name before.

"Broskies, are you seeing these colours?!" Craig exclaimed, distracting Taylors attention as he looked over to the jock, where he and Raj were peering over the side of their boat.

"I've heard some fish have  _psychedelic_  effects when you eat 'em!" Raj explained excitedly, grinning down at the fish in awe.

"Guys, look!" Diego cried, pointing to a small cluster of clownfish. "I found Nemo!" He sang joyously, as Taylor rolled his eyes and grinned at his friend.

"Is that your peoples name for that fish?" Varyyn asked, his eyes wide as he looked down at the fish, while Diego frowned at the Vaanti in confusion. "How fascinating!" He gasped, as Diego shook his head and began to explain.

"I wonder what freshly cut seaweed would do in a facial..." Michelle mused, lightly dragging her fingertips over a small batch of seaweed with a thoughtful frown.

Sean craned his neck over the edge, and let out a whistle. "How far down does it  _go?"_  He wondered aloud, his tone heavy with awe. "I can't see the bottom..."

"You'll see soon enough, Michael Phelps." Jake snorted, clapping Sean on the shoulder, as Taylor dug his mask and oxygen tank from his bag. He paused, swiping his finger over the tank, thinking of Lila briefly and smiling at the memory of her cheerful expression as she gave it to him. He sighed and checked the gauge, guessing he had roughly a half hour of air remaining.

He looked up when Malatesta and Yvonne brought the rowboats to a stop, as the jagged coral formations started to catch along their undersides. "This looks like the furthest we can take you." Yvonne said, peering over the edge curiously.

"It's definitely close by." Quinn assured, frowning as she rubbed at her chest. "Feels like it wants to rip me through the boat..." She added with a faintly irritated huff.

"That's a deep reef." Jake said with a frown, looking down at the corals. "You got anything to help you breathe underwat-" he broke off with a huff, looking over up to see Taylor waggling his mask and oxygen tank with a wide grin.

"Hmm," he sniggered as Sean stripped off his shirt and nodded to him. "Great minds think alike, Top Gun."

"Well then, I bet we're thinkin' the same thing right now, too." Jake said, grinning at Taylor as he stood up and strapped the mask over his face.

"Hmm, some how I doubt it Top Gun," Taylor sniggered, nodding at Sean to show he was ready. "Unless you're thinking about getting wet!" He laughed, as he and Sean launched themselves from the boats and dove into the reef.

As colours swirled around him, Taylor couldn't help but pause and appreciate the beautiful life around him, and he immediately wished he could have shared the amazing sight with his pilot. He looked over a perfect circle of sea anemones with awe, saw the fronds of jagged coral, filled with deep crevices. Finally he frowned, at a peculiar looking sand dune which seemed somehow entirely out of place. Sean grabbed his hand, upon following his gaze, and helped to pull him down between the fish and overgrowths. Taylor grinned at him, before plunging his hand into the sand, which billowed up and clouded the water. He felt around blindly as the sand obscured his vision, and finally; his hand grabbed something solid.

He grinned broadly at Sean, gesturing to the surface eagerly, as they were unable to inspect it in detail underwater. He held onto it tightly, as he pushed off the sea floor, driving himself up towards the sparkling waves above. He breached the surface with a grin, and treaded water, as Sean came up just after him, though his face was filled with disappointment. "We didn't find it, did we?" He sighed, as Taylor frowned at him, and raised the object he'd pulled from the sand.

"Okay...  _Soooo,_  it's not the Heart. But, on the plus side, it's still a pretty cool find." Taylor said, as he examined the padlock thoughtfully. He turned it over and found words scratched into the aged brass.

**No land, no sea, no one; will keep us apart. -Flora & Eugene, nineteen twenty.**

_Huh. It's unlocked... Guess they never fastened it._  Taylor thought sadly, turning it over in his hands again as he traced his fingers over the delicate patterns ingrained into the metal.

Sean's eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered. "It's not the Heart." He bit out, clenching his jaw and sending a huge spray of water flying with his arm.

"Uh, we can always try again?" Taylor suggested, eyeing Sean nervously, as the athlete seemed to deflate before his eyes.

"I can't." Sean said quietly, treading water gently as he stared into the horizon.

"Hey. Sean-" Taylor began, only for the athlete to turn towards him with a furious scowl.

"I said I  _can't,_  okay!" He roared, slamming his fist into the water. "I can't  _do_  it! I can't do  _anything_  without screwing up and someone getting hurt!" He ranted, as Taylor slowly treaded water, his expression darkening as he listened to the athlete vent. "This whole time, I've tried to be the Q.B. Call the shots. Do everything right; and where are we  _now?"_  He spat, running a hand over his hair, before sighing, his face falling into a mask of pain. "At the end of the world; some of us missing, some of us hurt." He said, looking down into the reef, a shell shocked expression on his face.

"You want me to hit you again?" Taylor asked after a brief pause, surprising the athlete into looking up at him, as he peered out at the horizon. "I can do it, if it'll help make you feel better... If that's what you're after. Some sort of punishment for fucking up, or something..?" He asked looking over at Sean with a frown. "We're a team, Sean. A  _family._  You don't need to do everything by yourself, or shoulder everything yourself. You gotta let everyone help you from time to time." He said, balking suddenly as he realised what he'd said.  _This is... exactly what Jake meant about me opening up to him_... He thought with startling clarity, his heart skipping a beat as he huffed at himself in surprise. He shook his head, looking back up at Sean with a slightly softer expression. "Look, Sean, I can't do this without you." He sighed, spreading his palms to the athlete and choking on a mouthful of water when he consequently sank slightly.

"Estela and Yvonne are strong swimmers." Sean countered, frowning as he watched Taylor splutter and regain his balance. "You didn't need  _me."_

"Uh, hello. That is  _not_  the point." Taylor said, scowling as he splashed the athlete with a wave of water. "Okay look; when we couldn't find anyone in the hotel,  _you_  were the one to keep our heads on straight."

"I am pretty sure that  _most_  people listened to  _you,_  over me." Sean said snidely, raising a finger to point at Taylor. "And Michelle even said so, in the secret control room, during the Vaanti raid."

"Shut up." Taylor groused, scowling and splashing the athlete again. "Fine; when Cetus tried to destroy Elyys'tel,  _you_  were the one to drop bombs down his throat."

"After  _you_  already gave him a headache with yours." Sean said, a small curl forming at the corner of his lips, as Taylors scowl deepened.

" _My. Point_." He said, clearing his throat as he turned to look over at the boats, a short distance away. "Was that... Part of how we've all miraculously survived till now, is because  _you_  have been there to help us... And so help me if you say one word that even attempts to turn that around I will dunk you right under these waves." He promised, looking back to point at Sean threateningly as he turned away. Taylor barely caught himself before he bit his lip, staring at the athlete in concern; unable to tell if the drops of water on his face were from the sea, or his eyes.

"Ever since I kicked my dad's abusive, alcoholic ass out of the house... I've done  _everything_  to carry the load." Sean said slowly, swallowing heavily as he tried to hold back the tide of emotions which accompanied his memories. "I didn't want to be a burden on anyone. Not like  _he_  was." He said thickly, shaking his head as he looked over at Taylor brokenly. "But now, after all that's happened... You saving my ass, keeping us going... I just don't know how to keep pretending like I'm good at this." He sighed dejectedly.

"Sean, have you been on the same journey as all of us? I mean, I've needed my ass saving more than all of you put together... Twice ov-" He said, pausing as something caught his eye below them. He looked down, quickly paddling backwards, as a shimmering aura rose from the depths of the reef. "Sean, do you see that?" He asked as he shivered, though he was far from cold.

Taylor felt his heart freeze, as a ghostly head surfaced between them. "Taylor, get behind me!" Sean said quickly, his eyes wide and frantic as he moved to get between Taylor and the spectre. From the center of its body, the figure withdrew something small and shiny, and extended it to Sean.

Taylor swam closer, his curiosity leading him, as he peered at what appeared to be a small watch, with an engraving on the back.  _Marcus Gayle_? He thought, his eyes darting back to Sean briefly.  _His dad's watch_..? He wondered, as Sean shook his head vehemently.

"That's... not possible!" The athlete cried, staring at the watch like it was a bomb. "It... It doesn't exist anymore!" He insisted, backing away as the figure continued to reach out imploringly. "Taylor, what do I do here? Do I...  _take_  it?"

"Well my inspiring speech didn't manage to knock any sense into you," Taylor snarked, sniggering as he reached forward to take the watch. "But, I think  _it_  will help!" He said, holding it out to the athlete. Sean hesitated only a second before reaching out to take it, and as soon as both their hands touched it, taylor found his world obscured by white light.

When the light cleared, he saw Sean in a large training room, poring over pages of playbooks, strewn over the floor. "If the seagulls' safety tries what he did last game-" the athlete muttered, only to be interrupted by a crisp knock, and a short woman wearing a Condors jersey rounded the corner.  _"Momma!"_  Sean cried joyfully, a huge grin on his face as she approached.

"There's my starting quarterback!" Sean's mother, Tricia Gayle said, laughter in her tone as she raised her arms towards her son. Sean put his books aside quickly, and swept his mother into a big hug. "Hold on, hold on! Lemme get a good look at you." She laughed, pulling out of the hug and craning her neck to look up at Sean's face. "Oh, those cameras won't know what to  _do_  with you!" She crooned, patting his cheek affectionately.

"Hopefully, they only catch me when I make the good plays." Sean chuckled dryly, his gaze fond and affectionate as he peered down at his mother, as she stepped back and joyfully launched into a cheering routine.

" _Get 'em with the forward drive! Jeep that winning streak alive! Get 'em Gayle... Give 'em hayle... **Goooo,**  Gayle!_" She cried proudly, punching the air victoriously as she finished.

 _"Wow._  Okay." Sean balked, his eyes wide as he sniggered at his mother. "Did you just mispronounce 'hell' to rhyme with our name?" He asked, shaking his head at her fondly.

"Chant's gotta rhyme somehow!" She said, spreading her palms as they both laughed, before sitting on a nearby bench. Tricia caught the hint of worry in her sons eyes, and nudged him gently.

"Coach said you were workin' too hard." She said quietly, running her hand over his hair briefly. "What's wrong, baby?" She asked, as Sean sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"I've already had reporters ask me if Dad'll be here." He said quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly, as they locked onto the far side of the room. "They keep asking about what he's 'telling me'... I'm glad, we've kept everything under wraps..." He said quickly, glancing up at his mother briefly before locking his gaze ahead again. "It's just... I'm trying to be a better man than he was, but, it's like I can't stop feeling him over my shoulder." He explained, his hands balling into fists in his lap.

"Oh, Sean..." Tricia said, cupping his face in her hand and bringing his eyes to hers. He found a small smile, and covered her hand with his own.

"I know, I know." He sighed, rolling his eyes against a speech he'd no doubt heard countless times. "I'm not Dad, I'm a different person, I get it."

"But he's a part of you, Sean. Just as I am." His mother said imploringly, swiping her thumb over his cheek. "You can't just ignore someone that shaped so much of your life." She said, looking down briefly and taking a deep breath, before meeting his eyes again. "I know you still have his watch in your desk drawer... You deserved so much  _more_  from him." She said, as Sean scoffed and drew back.

"Yeah, well, we don't always get what we deserve." Sean sighed, shaking his head vehemently at whatever thoughts passed through his mind. "But even thinking of letting someone down a  _fraction_  of the way he did us..." He began, pausing when his mother squeezed his hand.

"You have his  _strengths_  too." She said with a small huff, her eyes lighting with a small hint of amusement. "He did actually have a few." She laughed, pausing to think, before shifting towards him slightly. "Do you remember Thanksgiving, the first year your father was gone? How I wouldn't let anyone help me in the kitchen?"

"Oh,  _do_  I..." Sean snorted, his eyes widening as he shook his head with a wry laugh. "Especially the trip to the E.R. after you dropped the turkey pan on your foot." He sniggered.

"I wanted to prove to everyone, that I was fine without him. That I could do everything, for everyone else,  _and_  take care of myself." Tricia said, sighing wistfully as she grinned broadly. "'What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger,' I thought. But, the truth is, baby, no one is indestructible." She said gently, chuckling as she wiggled her foot at him. "My bones sure wished I sucked it up, and asked for your help that day."

"Ha!" Sean laughed, squeezing her hand affectionately. "I  _bet."_  He said fondly, smiling broadly at her, as he recalled the memory in the new light.

"Reporters will say what they want about you. You can't control them." Tricia said, patting his cheek again as she winked at him. "But, don't let worrying about  _your father's_  mistakes; push you into making  _your own."_

Sean released a great sigh, his shoulders heaving as if a great weight had lifted from them. "Thanks, Momma. I..." He paused, swallowing thickly as he grinned at his mother proudly. "I really needed to hear that."

"That's why I said it." Tricia said, beaming a wide grin at Sean, as she patted his leg affectionately. "Just try to relax. Remember, this is the  _beginning._  Remember, that you were the number one draft pick, and that you're already defining your own legacy." She said, squeezing his hand and smiling at him warmly. "Most important; remember that you  _don't_  have to carry the world on your shoulders. You got  _plenty_  of good folks, to share the load with."

"Thanks, Momma." Sean said, besming a huge hrinnat his mother, as he drew her into his arms tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby." She cooed, drawing back to pat him on the back, her shoulders hunching excitedly. "Now relax, take a breath, and go win your first game!" She ordered, her smiling face the last thing to be seen as the vision ended almost as suddenly as it began.

Taylor saw the sun setting, his heart filled with warmth, as he found himself back in the water, with Sean staring at him in awe. "Taylor, that was... just what I needed." The athlete choked, looking down at the damanged watch, before clutching it tightly and smiling at over at him.

"Feeling better?" Taylor sniggered knowingly, a wide grin on his face as hope eadiated through him, lingering from Sean's vision.

"Lots." Sean agreed with a grin, sighing in contentment, as he thought about what he'd seen. The mysterious figure started to become hazy, but before it could fade completely, it seemed to beckon them down into the shining reef.

"I'm gonna follow it." Taylor said suddenly, fixing his mask into place quickly, as Sean's eyes widened at his sudden decision.

"Okay... I'll come too." The athlete said quickly, diving after Taylor into the depths. Intense light seemed to be coming from somewhere amid the coral formations, as they both did their best to swim after the rapidly descending spirit. When they reached the bottom, and dared to glance at the lights source, Taylor saw a broken sphere of crystal. He grinned, and moved to grab it, remembering too late the adverse effect the Heart tended to have on him. As he clutched the second half of The Island's Heart, pain welled in his chest, making him double over.

He gasped, wasting air but unable to care, as Sean quickly grabbed his shoulders and began to move them back towards the surface. When they broke the surface, they found that dusk had fallen, and the stars were beginning to come out. Taylor felt his heart clench in pain, as he stared up at the sky, and all he could think of was the strange figure which seemed to glow so similarly. He choked, and shook his head, sucking in a deep breath, as Sean prized the crystalline orb from his fingers. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll just hold onto this for now..." The athlete said, as Taylor sighed in relief, his chest aching but not consumed by pain any longer.

"Yep. Totally cool with that." He huffed, offering the athlete a thumbs up, as they both gazed at the orb; Sean in wonder, and Taylor in suspicion. He raised a brow, as he noticed Sean smile faintly.

"You found it." The athlete said, looking up at him with a huge grin.

 _"We_  found it." Taylor corrected, smirking as he splashed Sean with a wave of water. He sniggered when Sean splashed him back, before gesturing towards the boats. They paddled back together, Sean brandishing the Heart proudly.

"You did it!" Quinn cried, her eyes wide as she stared at the approaching orb.

"We had a little help." Taylor sniggered, looking up at Jake with a wide grin, as the pilot leaned over the side of the boat, offering his hand to help Taylor aboard.

"It looked like an Electric Light Parade was happening down there!" Diego gasped, as Taylor splashed his pilot playfully.

"Hey, if that glorified disco ball wants to show you how to get to it, I'm not complaining." Jake scoffed, narrowing his eyes at Taylor as he splashed him again, before finally accepting his hand. As he and Sean were pulled aboard, Taylor noticed Malatesta eyeing the Heart.

"Mighty fine gem ye've got there..." The pirate captain said, entirely unsubtly.

"Yes " Michelle cooed, beaming widely as Sean handed it over to her. "And it's  _not_  yours." She said coyly, pointedly placing it in her backpack and staring at Malatesta with a smug grin as she zipped it up.

"Let's get back to the ship, before Rourke's men come searching for it." Estela said, a small smile curling her lips as she looked over at Taylor, while Yvonne and Malatesta began to row them back towards the Dorado.

 _"Uhhh,_  doodlejumps?" Raj said nervously, drawing everyone's attention, as he stared with wide eyes at something in the water. "Friends?" He tried again, pointing a shaky finger to ab enormous form darkening the waters beneath them.

"Oh no..." Taylor groaned, as through peaks of waves, he saw dark fins writhing in the deep. He felt Jake tense beside him, and was certain everyone else did as well.

"I've got a bad feeling about thi-" Varyyn began, only to be cut off, as a massive wave slammed into the rowboats, as a gaping, many toothed maw rose right in front of them.

"I don't know if I ever said it before..." Taylor sighed, his hand slipping into Jake's as fear clutched at his heart. "But I really,  _really_  don't like Cetus..."


	4. You've Come Into Your Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!
> 
> I am... oddly shy about this chapter. I absolutely love a couple parts, but i feel a bit awkward about a couple too... so i will leave you to be the judges of its actual ya know... uh... thing. Yes.  
> Ahem.
> 
> I wanted to thank you all so much for your amazing comments - you've been so excellent and beautiful and awesome and encouraging! I love you all so goddamn much...
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this update - i had planned to post it last night but it... well, it took longer than i expected... so anyway, im excited to hear what you think, and i hope you enjoy!!!
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I hate Cetus. Every time he showed up; he screwed everything up. Stupid ancient sea serpent..._

_But hey; new friends, old friends, beautiful waterfalls and ghosts! ... Honestly, sometimes this island made me wonder if I was really in some obscure episode of Scooby Doo..._

_Actually no... La Huerta is way too fucked up for Scooby Doo_.

**4.**

**You've Come Into Your Own.**

"Damn you, Cetus!" Taylor roared, as he scowled at the all too familiar, many toothed maw, rising from the sea before them; blocking their rowboats paths back to the Dorado. "Why can't you just leave us the hell alone?!"

 _ **"Grraaauuggghhhh!"**_  Cetus bellowed at them, though Taylor was left unimpressed; as he flipped the bird at the sea serpent, much to Craig's amusement.

" _Oh. Bloody. Hell._ " Malatesta drawled slowly, staring at the still rising body of the massive beast.

"Ol' Nessie's harder to shake than mono..." Jake declared, as Taylor glanced at him sharply and a raised brow. "Shut up, Taylor." The pilot snarked preemptively, rolling his eyes before gazing back up at the sea monster.

Taylor glanced upwards, as dark clouds began to gather overhead, recalling Seraxa's warning from the attack on Elyys'tel; Cetus is the storm. A peal of thunder rang out, prompting another ear splitting roar from the beast.

 _ **"Rrraaaaaakkkk!"**_  Cetus growled, lightning crackling along his teeth, as the full fury of the storm suddenly erupted around them. Bright flashes of lightning filled the sky, as the sea serpent loomed over them menacingly.

"Yo, I don't think he came to mess around this time..." Craig cried over the storm, grabbing the side of the boat as they lurched dangerously over the now treacherous waves.

"Back to the reef!" Sean advised, gesturing over his shoulder to where they'd found the second half of the Heart. "He can't get to us in the shallows!"

Yvonne and Malatesta began struggling to turn the boats, but a dark shape rose to block their path back to the atoll. "Oh god... It's his tail!" Diego gasped, his eyes wide as he beheld the massive beasts tail rising behind them.

"Better than what it could have been, dude..." Taylor commented lightly, sniggering at Diego's horrified expression.

"I cannot un-hear that!" Diego cried, shaking his head in disgust and denial, while Taylor laughed. "How can you be  _laughing,_  right now?!"

"Would you rather I panic?" Taylor called over the storm, raising his brows at his friend.

"Yes! That would be a normal persons reaction!" Diego fumed, glaring suspiciously at Taylor as he turned to look up at Cetus.

" _Oh god, oh god, we're all gonna die_!" Taylor cried dramatically, able to hear Diego's sigh of exasperation even over the storm. "What, you said-"

"Just go back to laughing, assbutt." Diego snorted, shaking his head at his friend, as Taylor grinned and winked at him.

"Hey, Diego..." He said, gripping his friends arm and leaning closer, as he grinned widely. "What's your favourite colour?" He asked, as Diego snorted and shoved him away, a tiny grin forming on his own lips.

"The grinning devil has us trapped!" Yvonne cried, drawing Taylors attention as she glanced between Cetus's tail and head nervously. He sobered considerably, as he cast his eyes around for another way to escape the beast.

"Cetus!" Varyyn roared, standing rigid in the center of the boat, glaring at the sea serpent hatefully. "I swear on my mother's grave, I will cut off your head and  _mount your skull over my throne!"_  The Elyyshar promised darkly, as Taylor pursed his lips.

"Thanks, Varyyn." He snarked, gazing over at the Vaanti with a grimace. "Very... clear picture that painted." He groused, just as a large wave sent everyone scrambling to keep their balance atop the rowboats.

 _"No!_  My bag!" Michelle gasped, as the blondes backpack rolled across the boat, becoming wedged beneath an oar handle. The light of The Island's Heart, streamed through the bags half zipped opening, and Cetus's horrible, scarred visage turned, drawn by the brilliant light.

Quinn used the momentary calm to boldly face down Cetus from the prow of Taylors boat, and he scowled as he stumbled over to join her. "Guardian! I command you to leave this place!" She demanded, get words seeming to capture the beasts attention, but only to enrage him again.

"Quinn, sweetie, please don't try and reason with the angry sea monster." Taylor said, as he dragged her away from the prow, pushing her behind him as he backed away from Cetus.

"But it worked with the Yeti..." Quinn defended, and Taylor almost laughed, able to hear the pout in her voice; but too focused on Cetus's flaring temper.

"Hmm, yes, but the thing is; the Yeti hadn't gone stark raving  _mad!"_  Taylor whispered furiously, as Cetus bellowed in rage.

 ** _"Grrraaaaaahhh!"_**  The sea serpent roared, as several of their friends rushed over to join Taylor protecting Quinn. Cetus tapered off to a low growl, as his gaze shifted to Malatesta, who was inching closer to the prow.

 _"Stop him!"_  Varyyn cried suddenly, his eyes widening as he stared at Malatesta, but unable to reach him. "He has the Heart!"

 _"What?!"_  Taylor demanded, his eyes locking onto Malatesta, as the pirate captain raised the shining half sphere towards Cetus.  _"Ohhhh..._  This is gonna be  _baaad..."_  He groaned, already anticipating what Malatesta planned to do.

"Want this, do ye, monster?" The pirate captain roared, as Taylor darted towards him. "Then  _take_  it!" He cried, launching the Heart high into the air towards the beast. Taylor fell to a halt, watching in terrified awe, as Cetus swallowed the Heart, and disappeared beneath the churning tide.

"He...  _ate_  it?" Diego choked, staring in wide eyed disbelief at the spot where Cetus had disappeared.

"Yep.  _That_  just happened." Jake commented, his brows raised in similar disbelief to Diego's, his face lit by shock.

"Malatesta!" Taylor roared, snapping our of his frozen state of shock, as he glared up at the pirate captain. "You  _bastard!"_

"Let that jerk have it, Taylor!" Michelle encouraged, glaring at the pirate captain herself, as she grabbed her bag and moved away from him.

"Do you have  _any_  idea, what you just did?" Taylor fumed, trembling from the level of fury blazing through him. "You selfish, double crossing-" he broke off with a faint huff, as Yvonne began shouting over from her own rowboat.

" _Plague eating gut worm_!" The pirate screeched, as she scowled at Malatesta murderously.

Taylor folded his arms over his chest, gesturing towards Yvonne with his elbow. "Yes.  _That."_  He sneered, glaring at the captain, as he turned to Taylor with a furious whirl of his long coat.

"I did what none of you wallflowers were willin' ta do, to keep us alive!" Malatesta growled, as thunder crashed and forked lightning struck the waves with loud pops. Taylor froze suddenly, before rushing to lean over the side of the boat, certain he could hear a piteous cry rising from somewhere deep below.

 ** _"Rraauuunnnghh..."_**  Cetus whined, as he sank deeper into the depths, moving away towards the open ocean behind them.

"He's leaving, but the storms only getting worse!" Estela cried, as tremendous waves began to send the rowboats soaring and falling like roller coaster cars.

 _"Whoa-ohh-aaaah!"_  Raj yelled, as he nearly toppled over the side, barely managing to keep himself in the boat.

"Hang on!" Taylor cried, glancing around his friends desperately, until finally, his eyes locked with Jake's. "Just hang on, everyone!" He cried, as he grabbed the oars, trying to control the boat as best he could. He glanced over at the other rowboat, to see Yvonne attempting to do the same herself. He fought the tide, rowing with all his might in the opposite direction. He grunted with the effort he expelled with each movement, his concentration locked onto his task. Finally, the boats rocking seemed to diminish slightly, as they continued to climb and descend the waves.

 _"Chyeahhh!"_  Craig cheered, throwing his hands in the air as Taylor huffed in amusement. "What a ride!" The jock cried, as Taylor shook his head at him, only to catch sight of something which chilled his heart, as a flash briefly illuminated the cluster of rocks; directly ahead of Yvonne's boat.

"Yvonne!" He called desperately, terrified they were about to crash. "Break left!" He pleaded, relief flooding him when Yvonne seemed to hear the urgency in his voice; immediately pitching her weight to the side, turning the rowboat and leading them to narrowly miss the rocks.

 _"Merci,_  Taylor!" She called, her eyes wide as she watched the rocks pass them, shaking her head as she considered what might have happened without his aide.

"Good looking out!" Sean called, throwing Taylor a grateful thumbs up, as he swallowed heavily and ran his other hand over his hair.

As Taylor tried to help his friends, he noticed the sea turning sideways and falling away. "Guys... It's a tidal wave!" Craig cried, as their boat was drawn higher and higher by a towering wall of water.

"At least it wasn't lava this time!" Taylor choked, as he desperately tried to use the oars to steer them down the far side of the giant wave.

 _"Ohmygod!_  Hold on!" Quinn gasped, staring down at the tossing sea below them. Taylor reluctantly followed her gaze, his stomach turning hollow, as it appeared the sea were at least a mile beneath them.

"Oh crap..." He groaned, as suddenly, the wave crested, and Taylor felt himself go flying through the air.  _"Aaaaaaah!"_  He cried, as he sailed towards the waved below. He hit the water hard, knocking the breath from his lungs and stunning him into a motionless sprawl. As he plunged into the water, the world began to fade, and the last thing he saw was his friends; unconscious and descending alongside him into the depths.

"Taylor..." A voice called his name, gently urging him from the darkness.  _"Taylor..!"_  They called again, a touch of urgency in their tone. He tried to frown, but he could feel nothing, not his face, body or even his own heartbeat. "Taylor! Don't you  _dare..!"_  The voice called, what sounded like hysteria encroaching their tone. Finally, Taylor saw a speck of light, and as soon as he noticed it; the light began to grow, until suddenly, the piercing light of day filled his eyes. He felt his body, limp, sluggish and unresponsive to his commands. He felt his face, cold from the long time beneath the water. He felt his lips, which were much suddenly warmer than his face, as another pair of lips sealed over them.

"Come  _on,_  Boy Scout!" Jake demanded, his eyes wide in desperation, as he drew back from the kiss. "Come back to me!" He pleaded, placing his mouth over Taylors again, and breathing air into his lungs. His pilot drew back, carefully pumping his chest with the heels of his hands.

 _"Kf-kff!"_  Taylor gasped, coughing up the water sitting in his lungs, as Jake rolled him quickly to his side.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Quinn cried, dropping to her knees on the opposite side of Jake, taking Taylors hand and holding it to her tear stained cheek, as Jake rolled Taylor onto his back again and clasped his cheeks fiercely.

"Don't you dare do that to me again, you  _bastard!"_  He growled, glaring down at Taylor, his cerulean eyes heavy with tears. "I  _mean_  it Taylor, don't you ever, even think about-"

"Bad, Top Gun..." Taylor groaned, his hand rising to gently, if somewhat clumsily, wipe away the damp streaks forming on the pilots cheeks. "I said... no more kissing..." He mumbled, as Jake stared down at him in wide eyed shock. He grinned, coughing lightly as his hand moved to tangle in Jake's wet hair, drawing the pilot down so that he could kiss him softly. "I guess I better let you off this once..." He whispered, resting their foreheads together, as he squeezed Quinn's hand gently.

Jake finally choked a relieved chuckle, his tense shoulders relaxing as Taylor regained control of his body. "You scared the  _hell_  outta me..." The pilot accused quietly, stealing another emotion fillled kiss, as Quinn jabbed him in the arm.

"Outta  _us!"_  She corrected, scowling down at Taylor crossly. He chuckled and swept his thumb over her cheek, before groaning as he tried to sit up, finding the rest of his friends huddled around him.

"Uh... Hi, guys..." He said awkwardly, as Jake shifted back to help him sit, reluctant to leave his side yet. He glanced around the concerned faces and laughed nervously, shooing them all away. "C'mon, I'm fine now, lets turn those frowns upside down..!" He chuckled, as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Dude, you really gotta stop with the whole, near death experience thing." Diego finally sighed, a small grin quirking his lips as he shook his head. "At this rate Harrison's gonna go grey ahead of his time..."

Taylor snorted, shoving his friend playfully and knocking him to the sand, laughing at his shocked yelp. The gesture seemed to finally erase the tension hanging over the group, and they drew back to give Taylor some much appreciated breathing room. Jake stood up, and squinted down the shoreline, searching for any sign of other survivors. "Our pirate duo hasn't shown up yet." He said, hissing faintly as he rubbed his chest absently. "Maybe they washed up somewhere else..." He mused, turning back to Taylor as he scrabbled to his feet, reaching for the pilots wounded chest.

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly, biting his wounded lip without thinking.  _"Michelle!_  Is he alright?" He demanded, turning to look at the blonde as Jake huffed and rolled his eyes.

"You almost drown, and you're worried about this little bruise." The pilot snorted, shaking his head at Taylor fondly. He cupped his hand to Taylors cheek and sighed, his clear eyes running over him as if committing every feature to memory.

"Hey, I got my priorities." Taylor said quietly, twisting to kiss the pilots hand briefly. "'You' before 'me', except when we're 'we'." He sniggered, as Jake raised a brow, before laughing at Taylors goofy grin.

"You're an idiot." Jake huffed, drawing him into a hug, as Taylor tentatively wrapped his arms around the pilot in return. "I'm not that damn fragile, Boy Scout." Jake groused, as Taylor sniggered and kissed his throat.

"Um..." Quinn hummed, her eyes widening, as she jumped to her feet. "Do you guys hear that?" She asked, as a faint melody drifted from the rainforest lining the shore.

"That's..." Taylor began, pausing as he drew back from his pilots embrace. "A guitar..?" He hedged, frowning as he glanced at his pilot for confirmation that he wasn't delusional from his extended underwater experience.

"Sounds like we ain't alone." Jake agreed, nodding his head slightly as his hand slid into Taylors and gripped tightly.

Taylor hesitated a moment, listening to the soft tune, before he grinned and tugged at Jake's hand. "Let's check it out." He said eagerly, leading the way into the rainforest.

"Do you even know where you're goin'?" Jake asked, his tone heavy with amusement, as Taylor paused and tilted his head to listen to the gentle strumming, before leading then slightly to the right through the trees.

"Uh,  _duh,_  towards the music." He huffed, winking at Jake as the pilot snorted and followed his lead without further question or complaint. A short distance after that, Taylor pointed gleefully to a ruined structure, almost completely overgrown with clinging vines. At the center of what must have once been an impressive courtyard, an amphitheatre descended towards a small stage.

"I think these are Mayan ruins..." Diego said, his eyes wide with awe as he raised his hand to run his hands over the ruins, but didn't quite dare make contact. "I learned about them in Pre-Colonial Art History."

Taylor ignored his friends musings, hunting for the source of the music and settling his gaze on a young man, sitting against a wall at one side of the stage. He stopped playing suddenly, seeming to sense their presence. "... Hello? Someone else here?" He called, looking up and finally catching sight of Taylor and his group of friends. He shifted slightly, putting away his guitar in shy silence.

"Actually..." Diego murmured, leaning closer. "He's kind of cute, don't you think, Taylor?" He asked, entirely unsubtle as he forgot to lower his voice.

"More than cute." Michelle cooed, not noticing Sean's scowl behind her. "He's full on  _dreamy."_  She said, twirling her hair as she eyed the stranger keenly.

"No argument here!" Quinn giggled, biting her lip as she peered down at the man, her cheeks stained with pink. Taylor hummed thoughtfully, sniggering when Quinn noticed his smug expression and blushed a deeper shade of red.

"Are you  _kiddin'_  me?" Jake choked, his eyes wide as Taylor glanced over at him, the pilots gaze locked on the stranger. "That's a paratrooper kit he's wearing..." He breathed, lost in his awe. Taylor raised a brow, looking down at the young man himself.

"He's probably got some firearms on him." Estela warned, her dark eyes assessing the stranger for signs of threat. "We'd better watch ourselves."

"We should  _definitely_  watch ourselves." Sean growled, as Taylor rolled his eyes and glanced over, sniggering as the athlete glared at Michelle and the others.

The man walked over to a small pot perched atop a campfire, and stirred its contents merrily. After another moments pause, he called out across the courtyard. "Plenty of room here, if you'd care to join my camp." He said warmly, looking up at them all with amusement.

Taylor hummed, eyeing his warm smile and dark eyes thoughtfully. The young man had curly dark hair to his ears, and heavily tanned skin. "Well," he said, grinning down at the stranger warmly. " _I_  think he's cute."

 _"Do_  ya now?" Jake snarked, jerking out of his awed trance, his hand tightening around Taylors as he turned to scowl at him.

"Yes, I do." He said, leaning close to kiss his pilots cheek, his heart fluttering with joyful amusement at Jake's show of jealousy. "I think he and Quinn will make beautiful babies together!"

 _"Taylor!"_  Quinn gasped, her face red as she rushed over and pressed her hands to his mouth, while he laughed at her embarrassment.

 _"See?_  Taylor agrees." Michelle smirked, giggling at Quinn's flustered state. The blonde moved closer, looping her arm through Quinn's as she drew her away to trade hushed whispers about the stranger, as Sean watched with a furious scowl.

Jake huffed, his shoulders relaxing as Taylor turned towards him with a fond grin. "Didn't I tell you already?" He hummed affectionately, snagging the pilots collar in his free hand. "That you have no reason to ever, ever be jealous? Like,  _ever?"_  He sniggered, as Jake raised a brow at him.

"Probably about as many times as I've told you." The pilot snarked, his arm curling around Taylors waist, as a slow smirk grew on his face. "Somehow I get the feeling I ain't done tellin'  _you_  yet, either." He murmured quietly, as Taylor huffed and kissed the pilots throat.

"Uh..." Raj cleared his throat awkwardly, drawing everyone's attention as he gestured with his thumb at the stranger. "Are we gonna talk to this guy, or just stare at him the rest of the day?"

"Oh, I think Quinn's fine to just stare..." Taylor said lightly, laughing as he dodged Quinn's attempt to swat his arm.  _"Indefinitely,_  I imagine." He added, skipping around Jake's side to dodge Quinn's second swat, as his pilot rolled his eyes at the pair.

"You realise, Red, he ain't never gonna stop?" Jake hummed in amusement, as he stepped out of the way, allowing Quinn to dart forward and jab Taylor in the arm.

 _"Betrayal!"_  Taylor yelped, before laughing as Quinn buried her blazing face in his chest, resting his cheek to her head as he hugged her close.

"C'mon!" She said, as she finally drew back, her embarrassment hidden beneath a confident smile. "Let's go introduce ourselves!" She said, biting her lip shyly.

Taylor sniggered and butted his head affectionately to hers, before nudging her forward. "You first." He whispered, gently pushing her ahead of everyone.

Quinn took a deep breath, and marched over to the young man, her face slowly growing redder as she approached. "Um, hiiiii..." She said, fiddling with the tip of her braid nervously, as Taylor sniggered. "I'm Quinn."

"Pleased to meet you." The young man said warmly, a large smile on his face as he ran his eyes over her. "I'm Kele." He said, his eyes crinkling as dimples formed on his cheeks.

Taylor turned to his pilot with wide, eyes, pointing in silent excitement to the two. Jake sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation, shaking his head as he rubbed his chest absently. "Wait, are you okay?" Taylor asked suddenly, sobering as he looked Jake over worriedly. "Come on, lets find you somewhere to rest..."

"Taylor, I'm  _fine-"_  Jake protested, as Taylor quickly began leading him down to where Kele and Quinn were chatting.

"Shut up." Taylor grumbled, dragging a reluctant but amused Jake through the amphitheatre. "You'd say you were fine if you just lost your damn leg." He groused, as Jake snorted and pulled him to a halt, about to reassure him further, when Sean stormed past them.

"You with Arachnid?" He demanded, marching over to Kele and standing to his full imposing height, his thick arms folded menacingly over his broad chest.

"Uh, Sean... I think maybe this guys a little outdated to be part of the super troopers." Taylor hedged, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Arach... what?" Kele asked, his brow creasing curiously as he looked up at Sean, who silently flexed his arms in reply.

"Don't try to play dumb, bro." Craig said, scowling as he stalked over to Sean's side, forming an impressive wall of powerful muscles. "Lundgren give you all this gear?" He demanded as Kele held up his hands in placation.

"Look, don't snap your cap, pal." He said, his gaze shifting between the two carefully, as they exchanged an uncertain glance. "I don't know anything about any Arachnid or Lundgren." He assured, his face falling as he looked around the rainforest thoughtfully. "I'm on my own out here. Have been since the Shenandoah got brought down by U-boats." He explained quietly, his gaze turning distant, until Jake's spluttering drew his attention.

"You're sayin'... Submarine torpedoes, sunk your ship?" The pilot asked, as Taylor raised a brow at his sudden air of excitement.

"Germans really know what they're doing with those." Kele confirmed with a wistful sigh, scuffing his boot against the ground. "We got hit in the zero dark hundred, and were taken totally unaware." He said, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"We're stranded on La Huerta too..." Quinn said sympathetically, moving to rest her hand on his arm, before quickly losing her nerve and brushing her hand over her braid instead.

"Now  _that's_  a sure shame." Kele said, smiling at her warmly, his eyes darting over her again. "Pretty girl like you must have a lot of friends back home." He said quietly, and Taylor grinned as he squeezed Jake's hand excitedly, certain he could see the young mans cheeks darken.

"Oh, well, heh..." Quinn giggled, beaming a huge grin at Kele, as she flushed a vibrant crimson, much to Taylors delight. "Actually, all of my friends are here!" She chuckled, before her gaze settled on Craig's downcast expression, and she bit her lip guiltily. "Well, we just have a few still to find..."

"Boy Scout, his uniform's downright  _antique..."_  Jake breathed in Taylors ear, fidgeting awkwardly as he visibly restrained himself from questioning the other military man.

Taylor raised a brow at his pilot, glancing between the two as a slow smile curled his lips. "Should I be worried, right now?" He asked, flicking a finger between Jake and Kele curiously. "Is it the uniform..? 'Cause I can totally wear a uniform for you, if that's what-"

"Taylor, if you finish that sentence I'm gonna try to fuck you in front of all the Scooby Gang, so just shut up..." Jake snorted, rolling his eyes towards Taylor in fond exasperation. "And everyone says  _I'm_  the idiot." He sighed, as he glanced towards Kele and shifted awkwardly. "And  _no..._  It was just, ya know... I'm, uh...  _curious..."_

"Uh huh..." Taylor said, clearly unconvinced as he gazed at his pilot in blatant disbelief. He watched with a small grin, as Jake's gaze eyes darted to Kele intermittently, his foot beginning to tap in agitation, before Taylor finally sniggered and gave in. "So Kele, what year do you think it is?"

Kele laughed, a warm sound which made Quinn's already pink cheeks darken further. "Last I saw a calender, nineteen forty one." He said, shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly. "But, there's not much use in keeping track of time here. Things are... pretty interesting."

"Ah, you're aware of the impossibility of time here on La Huerta..." Taylor sniggered, watching Jake as he stared at Kele in awe, a tiny tendril of jealousy leading him to step closer to his pilot and nudge him with his shoulder.

"So you are a World War Two soldier..." Diego said, and Taylor rolled his eyes and sighed, pouting between his pilot and best friend; as they both stared at Kele in awe. "You were fighting Nazi's before it was even cool!"

"Something like that." Kele chuckled, his dimples causing Quinn to bite her lip and grasp the nearest hand to her, which happened to be Estela's. The dark haired girl looked at Quinn dubiously, raising a brow at the tight grip on her hand but saying nothing, as a small smirk formed on her lips.

"Well, you got my respect." Jake huffed, offering his hand to the lost soldier. "Jake McKenzie, former Navy pilot." He said, as Taylor raised a brow, his jealousy curdling in his gut as Jake straightened; his introduction far more proud than the one he'd received at the air strip.

"A flyboy." Kele mused thoughtfully, reaching for and shaking Jake's hand with a warm smile. "Pleasure." He said, nodding in confirmation of his words, as they released each others hands.

Kele returned to his pot, and resumed stirring, as Jake turned to Taylor with a grin; which faltered at Taylors baleful glare. Jake sniggered, and leaned towards Taylor, his intention to kiss away his fears clear in his eyes. However his progress was halted when Taylor sniffed and turned his head aside, raising his hand between them as he stepped away, hiding a tiny grin by biting his lip.

"So, how long have you been here then?" Estela asked, freeing her hand from Quinn's with a scowl, before turning towards Kele with a curious frown.

"Long enough to stop worrying about it." Kele snorted, grinning up at the dark haired girl in obvious amusement. "Can I interest you all in some chili, or, do you wanna keep beating your gums all day?" He asked curiously, barely missing a beat between his answering and questioning.

"Dude's unflappable." Raj snickered, beaming over at Kele warmly as he strolled over to join him by the pot. "I like him."

"I saw him first." Michelle giggled, as Quinn gasped and turned to pout over at the blonde.

"No fair!" She cried, only to dissolve into giggles when Taylor walked over and slung his arm around her shoulders, waggling his brows at her suggestively.

"I guess... he's alright." Sean conceded, grinning as he ducked his head briefly. "So, you really don't know anything about the Arachnid paramilitary outfit? Or Rourke?" He asked curiously, strolling over to join the others, as they joined Kele by his pot.

"Oh, you mean those machine men?" The lost soldier asked, causing Taylor to wince, as he recalled what Aleister had said about Mike and the mans 'programming'. "Yeah, they've been around." Kele admitted with a small nod, gesturing across the courtyard. "I saw a bunch of them come out of the ruins. Looked like they were searching for somebody." He said, eyeing them all thoughtfully, as Jake made his way to Taylors side, taking his hand and squeezing firmly. "Is it  _you_  they're trying to find?"

"Well," Taylor hedged, sharing a meaningful look with Jake, as the pilots jaw clenched tightly. "The short answer is...  _Yes."_  He said slowly, lowering his gaze guiltily.  _The long answer is that they want **me,**  and won't hesitate to kill anyone I'm with to get me.._. He thought, swallowing heavily as Jake stepped closer, leaning into his side and silently offering him comfort.

"Huh." Kele hummed, his gaze lingering on Taylor as if somehow sensing the unspoken explanation. "Well, you can hide here as long as you like." He said suddenly, his warm and dimpled smile returning as if it never left. "There's a vista, over a waterfall a few minutes away, that's good for scouting." He said, pointing towards a small trail out of the ruins.

"Probably a good idea to send a couple people up there to keep lookout." Jake suggested thoughtfully, as Taylor growled and dragged the pilot over to the ruins.

"Agreed." Estela said, watching Taylor with amusement, as he pulled Jake down to sit beside against the wall.

 _"You_  are staying put!" He fumed, positioning Jake so he'd be comfortable. "You are  _not_  to move! You are to  _stay still and you are to rest_!" He said, scowling down at Jake's wide eyed expression.

"I never said-" Jake protested, as Taylor growled and leaned closer to him, pointing a finger accusingly.

"You  _thought_  it." He said lowly, as Jake stared at him in surprise. Finally the pilot huffed and looked away, grumbling to himself as Taylor narrowed his eyes.

"I thought it." Jake confirmed sulkily, scowling at the group as they all sniggered at his predicament. Taylors expression finally softened, and he knelt beside his pilot, cupping his cheek in his palm to turn his face towards him.

"Hey, be good  _for_  me now..." He said quietly, darting a quick glance to Michelle, making sure the blonde wasn't in hearing range. He leaned closer to Jake, a mischievous grin curling his lips upwards, as Jake raised a brow hopefully. "... And I'll be good  _to_  you later." He promised, snickering as Jake's eyes lit with amusement.

The pilot shifted against the wall, settling himself down for a long period of rest. "Scout's honour..." He promised, leaning forward to brush his lips against Taylors, attempting to draw him into a deeper kiss; only for Taylor to giggle and pull away, winking at his pilot as he moved away to join the others.

Kele set down his ladle, and wiped his hands on a small towel, looking up at Taylor thoughtfully. "I can show you how to get there." He said, pushing to his feet.

"Ya need any help in the kitchen in the meantime?" Raj asked, looking around Kele's equipment and ingredient jars curiously.

"Sure." Kele said, beaming at the large boy gratefully. "More cooks, means more food. There are some mangoes you could slice up in that rucksack." He suggested.

"Comin' right up!" Raj cried cheerfully, heading over to the bag Kele pointed towards.

"I wouldn't mind helping to keep watch." Quinn said, biting her lip as she looked up at Taylor imploringly. "A waterfall sounds perfect, right about now..."

"It does, actually." Sean agreed, grinning as he turned towards Taylor with a raised brow. "Taylor, who do you think should go?" He asked, as Taylor snorted in amusement.

"Guys, you do realise you can just go if you wanna? You don't actually need to ask me..." He laughed, as they shrugged noncommittally. He rolled his eyes and sighed as he looked over at Quinn coyly. "You and your waterfalls." He sniggered, as she squealed and grabbed his arm eagerly. "Guess it's you and me, then."

 _"Yay!"_  She cheered, affecting a rough salute which had Jake laughing from across the clearing. "I won't let you down, scouting partner!" She promised, ignoring Jake's amusement at her saluting skills.

Kele pointed out a narrow trail, winding up into the hills. "Follow that, and you'll come to the falls in about ten minutes. Nicest spot in all of La Huerta, in my book." Taylor glanced back, winking at Jake as the pilot made a show of reclining against the wall, his hands behind his head as he watched Taylor leave with Quinn.

The two of them made their way eagerly into the rainforest, Quinn chasing after Taylor as he teased her mercilessly. "You know, I can stay back if you want... You can go with Kele, I would totally understand, and I am willing to make that sacrifice for you." He sniggered, as she laughed and fucked a low branch to quickly catch up to him.

"You're only saying that because you think Jake has a crush on him, and you're worried about them both being at camp." She teased back, grinning when Taylor ran into a branch with a yelp.

"I  _do_  not, and I  _am_  not!" He protested loudly, rubbing his side distractedly. "I mean, Jake was excited, sure but... He's not, I mean... D'you really think I should be worried?" He asked, frowning as Quinn swatted his arm and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Taylor..." She sighed, taking his arm and leading him down the path again. "What am I gonna do with you?" She giggled, as she released his arm and carefully wrung sea water from her braided hair.

Taylor frowned, torn between his tendril of jealousy and his desire to tease Quinn further. He decided to go with neither, instead flicking her jacket playfully. "For having just been shipwrecked, your new look's holding up pretty nicely."

Quinn grimaced, glancing up at him darkly. "Let's just say that wasn't the first time I went for an  _unexpected_  swim recently." She said dryly.

"You mean," Taylor choked, his eyes widening as he imagined the pirate captain throwing his friend off the Dorado at random intervals. "Malatesta made you..."

"No, he wouldn't  _dare."_  She laughed reassuringly, as Taylor huffed in relief. "I think he's  _still_  having nightmares about me coming down out of the sky." She giggled, shaking her head fondly, as Taylor grimaced at the reminder. "Getting my 'sea legs' was a little rough at first." The redhead explained, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she finished wringing it out.

Taylor glanced over at her, looping his arm through her own as they dawdled along the path. "So, where did you learn to sail like that?" Taylor asked curiously. "You worked that steering wheel like a pro." He sniggered, nudging her playfully as he leaned closer to her ear. "Though I get the feeling there's something  _else_  you'd like to work like a pro now..."

"  _Taylor!"_  Quinn gasped, slapping his arm loudly, as he laughed gleefully. "Oh my god, I can  _not_  believe you just said that! I so don't-"

"Hey, that was nothing compared to some of the shit you've said to me little miss innocent!" Taylor snorted, tickling her rib lightly. "And don't give me that horse crap either, I know full well what you wanna do to Kele."

 _"Really?_ And how do you know that exactly, all seeing one?" Quinn huffed, pouting up at him curiously.

"'Cause..." He said, kicking a stray branch out of their path, before looking over at her fondly. "That's exactly how I used to act around Jake, back when we first got to this crazy hell hole." He said quietly, smiling softly as he remembered his earliest interactions with his pilot, his stomach filling with butterflies. He flushed when Quinn began to giggle, making odd cooing noises as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Okay, okay, fine; don't tell me, evasive one. But come on then, if you won't tell me about your obvious 'not a crush' then go back to the point; sailing skills and where you learned 'em."

"Oh. Well..." She said slowly as Taylor frowned, wondering if she would rather avoid both subjects. "I used to spend every summer with my dad in Cape Cod. When I was mad at him, taking me out on his boat was the only way he could get me to talk." She admitted shyly, smiling softly at the memory. She laughed suddenly, breaking out in a wide grin as she looked up at Taylor fondly. "The last few weeks have been a lot like then... except now the cranky ones not me, it's Malatesta."

"Cranky is  _one_  way to put it." Taylor snorted, shaking his head as he thought of the blond pirate captain. They continued on in confortable silence, eventually reaching the crest of the hill, gaining a view of the entire valley below. Emerald hills rose in sweeping curves, stretching out to a turquoise sea, which looked as if it were made of shimmering glass. "You can see for  _miles_  up here..." Taylor breathed, gazing around in awe, his heart aching at the beautiful scene before him.

"So pretty... Reminds me of what flying was like." Quinn sighed, gazing around longingly, before her face fell, a broken frown consuming her. "I guess I'd miss it, if it weren't for the whole; forcing me to hurt my friends part."

"Quinn, I'm so sorry..." Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair guiltily. "I had no idea The Island's Heart would do what it did to you..." He said, looking over at her imploringly.

"I don't think  _anyone_  could have known." The redhead huffed lightly, staring at the horizon thoughtfully. "Even the presence inside me seemed surprised to be where it was." She said quietly, as Taylor frowned and rubbed at his chest absently. "Anyway, I should be the one apologizing... You risked everything to help me. And each time I got taken over,  _you_  found a way to bring me back."

"Quinn, you should know by now..." Taylor murmured quietly, wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her to his side, squeezing her gently. "I care very deeply for you... You're like, the annoying little sister I never even knew I needed in my life." He said, sniggering as she swatted his arm playfully, before reluctantly breaking out in a wide smile.

"I care about you too, Taylor..." She said, nudging him with her elbow. "So much so, that it scares me sometimes." She admitted with a sigh, wrapping her arms around her chest as if cold.

"Scares  _you?_  Superhero Quinn?" Taylor scoffed, jostling her gently as he poked her in the arm, drawing a small giggle from her. "The girl I saw come back from death's door?"

"Don't let the 'oh so tough' exterior fool you..." She laughed, looking up at him with a wide grin. "I might have on a leather jacket now, but I'm the same person I've always been." She said, leaning her head on Taylors shoulder as the two of them took in the view. "You're probably the one thing I'm most worried about losing..." Quinn admitted quietly, the sudden confession startling Taylor, and he drew back to frown at her.

"What makes you think you're gonna lose me, exactly?" He asked, a curl of ominous foreboding in his gut. "There something I oughta know about?" He huffed, trying to sound amused and hoping he succeeded.

"It's just, this feeling..." Quinn said quietly, biting her lip as she refused to meet his concerned gaze. "Like, you're... I don't know... It just seems like you're, slipping away from us somehow."

Taylor frowned, unsettled by the assessment.  _Is this what Jake meant, when he was talking with Diego? Is this what he feels_? He wondered, ignoring the lain in his lip as he worried the already broken skin. _I guess, I'm gonna have to just suck it up and tell them the truth... And hope they don't all hate me_. He thought, his hand curling into a ball, before he forced it to flatten again. "Quinn, I'm not going  _anywhere_  without you guys..."

"But  _we_  might be, right?" She guessed, as Taylor avoided her gaze for a long pause, before sighing and finally glancing down at her.

"If we fix the world, you guys will have lives to go back to... And, as we learnt last time; I... can't leave." He said slowly, swallowing thickly as he squeezed her shoulders and painted an entirely false grin on his face. "But hey, you'll be able to come visit and stuff, right? And I bet cell service will be up and running again! So... Don't worry, okay?" He said, kissing the top of her head, using the gesture to hide his grief stricken eyes. "You won't lose anything. I'll always be here for you." He promised in a whisper, his throat constricting painfully.

Quinn was silent for several long seconds, allowing Taylor to hide his eyes long enough to be in better control if his emotions. "Taylor..?" Quinn said quietly, glancing up as he hummed in response. The redhead drew back and looked up at him, about to say something more, when the roar of crashing water drifted over to them, from somewhere further along the trail.

"So... Wanna check out that waterfall?" Taylor asked, beaming a huge grin down at Quinn, as he waggled his eyebrows at her; distracting her from the dangerous topic and the strange feelings it established in Taylors heart.

"Of  _course!"_  She giggled immediately, before frowning guiltily. "But, aren't we supposed to be looking out for Arachnid?" She asked, looking up at him curiously, as he made a show of looking around them.

"I'm... not seeing any cyborg soldiers lurking out there..." He said leadingly, winking at her conspiratorially, as he grinned and sniggered. "Are  _you?"_

 _"Nope."_  She giggled, as Taylor winced at the popping p, but immediately pushed his irritation aside; as he moved past her and then turned back, walking backwards cockily.

"Then I'd say we're safe." He said, grinning down at her as he tipped his head in the direction of the cacophony of noise. "Let's go hit the water on  _our_  terms for once!" He laughed, before turning and racing away towards the waterfall. He heard Quinn's giggle, as she bounded after him down the trail.

Taylor stumbled to a halt, his breath catching as they rounded a curve, to find themselves in a secluded grotto. A spectacular waterfall cascaded over ferns and orchids from a cleft in the rocky Cliffside. "... I didn't expect it to be  _this_  pretty." Quinn admitted with a gasp, her eyes wide as she stared at the beautiful scene before them.

"This is really something else..." Taylor agreed, looking around in awe, his heart stinging that he couldn't share the view with his pilot, but warming that he could share it with his friend all the same. Fine mist drifted through the air, causing his exposed skin to tingle refreshingly. "Wow... You would have totally loved making out with Kele in this..." He said seriously, before laughing gleefully when Quinn choked and slapped his arm.

 _"Taylor!"_  She said hotly, scowling up at him as she pursed her lips. Taylor sniggered and ruffled her hair, dodging her swat at his shoulder, as he skipped out of her reach. He shook his head as she ran her fingers over her hair, smoothing it back into place, before he turned towards the waterfall; narrowing his eyes at what appeared to be a barely visible, rocky ledge thoughtfully.

He recalled rock climbing with his pilot, and the hike they'd more recently taken to the secluded hilltop, and he grinned excitedly as he headed towards the cliff. He looked up, judging his path, before he began to climb up to a narrow ledge, which appeared to curve behind the onrush.

"You're trying to get back there?" Quinn gasped, biting her lip as she watched him from the bottom. "Wait! I'm coming too!" She cried a moment later, as Taylor hoisted himself onto the ledge, and then turned to help Quinn up behind him. They slid their feet gradually along the cliff, the two of them able to inch their way behind the curtain of falling water, exchanging mischievous grins as they shuffled sideways. Once they'd gone far enough, they paused, panting for breath as they looked up and around the private hideaway in awe. "It's-" Quinn said, beaming an awe struck grin up at Taylor.

"...  _What?"_  He called, as her voice was cut off by the roaring waterfall just inches in front of their faces. She turned her head towards him, trying again as she accentuated her words carefully.

 _"I said; it's amazing_!" She yelled, her voice still hampered by the roar of the cascading water, but finally reaching Taylors ears, if slightly dulled.

" _It is_!" He yelled back, nodding his head in agreement. He looked over at Quinn, noticing that the sunlight shining through the waterfall cast a flickering silver pattern onto her face. Quinn's crystalline blue eyes gazed into Taylors, and for several long moments they stood together in silence. His lips twitching, Taylor gave Quinn a slow, exaggerated wink, and she immediately burst out laughing.

"Taylor," she groaned, still laughing at him, as she shook her head fondly. "What am I going to do with you?" She asked in exasperation, a huge smile locked onto her face.

"Good things, I hope." He said with a wide grin, before clicking his fingers and slapping his own forehead playfully. "Oh, sorry; I meant you should do good things to Kele!" He sniggered, as she puffed out her cheeks in feigned outrage. He looked up at the water again, sighing as he watched the hypnotic cascade before him, before turning back to Quinn again. "We should probably head back... Raj must have dinner ready by now." He said, smiling as she pouted at him.

"Do we  _have_  to?" She groaned, staring at the waterfall longingly. "Maybe, we could find another time loop, that would let us stay here forever..." She suggested, looking around as if she might find an actual, physical time loop.

"Are you sure that'd be a good thing? Those are pretty hard to get out of..." He laughed, winking as he leaned closer and added in a lower tone. "Plus, you probably wouldn't wanna be stuck with me if I were trapped away from Jake. I get withdrawals ya know..." He said in a feigned whisper, as she laughed and shook her head at him.

"This trip has been so many things. Terrifying, difficult, intense..." She said, looking up at him with a wide and genuine smile. "But it also brought me  _you,_  and for that, I wouldn't trade any of it... Even your cranky Jake withdrawals." She giggled, as he hummed appreciatively, his chest puffing out proudly. Just as he was about to give a witty retort, a strange sound pierced the steady rush of the waterfall.

 ** _"Rrrrreeeeeee..."_**  It cried, as Taylors heart lurched in his chest. He frowned, rubbing the prickling area absently, as he cocked his head and listed to what sounded like a tie between a distant scream; and the call of an enraged animal.

"... What is  _that?"_  Quinn asked worriedly, her eyes wide as she stared up at Taylor in a mixture of dread and anticipation.

"I dunno, but I'm gonna just go ahead and say; it's the alarm, telling us to get back to camp." He said, gesturing for Quinn to shuffle back the way they'd come. They carefully climbed back down from the rocky ledge, and headed back to the trail, walking in a comfortable silence as they thought about the beautiful spot they'd visited.

Taylor looked up as they returned to camp, finding everyone sitting around a roaring fire, while Craig clumsily picked at Kele's guitar. "Okay, Craig..." Michelle sighed, scowling as she finally reached her limit. "Whatever you're  _trying_  to play, just stop.

"Isn't it obvious?" The jock pouted, his eyes wide as he gazed around the group sadly. "It's that song about going over rainbows." He said, his face falling as everyone exchanged a private glance.

"It's  _not_  obvious." Estela said flatly, staring into the fire vacantly. "Not at all." She added, narrowing her eyes in thought.

"At least you're better than Jake." Diego sniggered, setting the rest of the group off alongside him, as he smirked over at the sulking pilot.

"Hey, my rendition of Wonderwall, was  _beautiful!"_  He growled, scowling at Diego, and then around the group for good measure. Taylors heart lifted, his pilot still by the wall where he'd left him, the fire built close enough that he would still be warmed.

He squeezed Quinn's shoulder, before sauntering over to his pilot and gently dropping himself into his lap. "Poor baby, have they been picking on you?" He teased, as Jake grinned, perking considerably as he slid his hands up Taylors thighs.

"Hmm," Jake hummed, as Taylor curled his arms around the pilots shoulders, and leaned forward to kiss him softly. "These amateurs don't appreciate my skills." He huffed, as Taylor snickered and winked at him.

"As someone who has experienced your skills first hand, I say they're all fools..." He said lightly, as Jake massaged his thighs gently, his hands slowly creeping higher whenever he thought Taylor didn't notice. "So, Top Gun, you managed to stay put for once..." He said leadingly, smirking as Jake grinned up at him eagerly.

"I was struck by this inspiration to just sit and rest all of a sudden," Jake quipped, leaning his head back against the wall as he peered up to lock his eyes with Taylors heatedly, while Taylor bit his lip and waggled his brows at him, as he pretended not to notice Jake slowly pulling him closer into his lap.

Kele and Raj looked into the pot over the fire with broad grins, exchanging quiet words about the progress of the food. "Smells like you've been busy." Kele said, as he inhaled deeply.

"Yup. Would love your feedback, dude!" Raj said cheerfully, handing the ladle over to Kele, who took a hearty sip.

"This is...  _amazing!"_  Kele choked, his eyes widening in surprise, as he wiped a sleeve across his lips distractedly. "How did you get so much flavour in there?"

"Coconut milk." Raj said, before breaking out in a loud cheerful laugh. "Also love. Always cook with love." He said fondly, as he and Kele bent over the pot together.

"Yo, Raj, how much longer for chow, bro?" Craig called, his hand resting on his stomach, as it protested its hunger loudly. "I'm starving, yo."

"Dude, you're  _always_  starving." Raj snorted, flicking his eyes over to his friend fondly. He tasted a tiny amount of the chili, pursing his lips briefly as he pointed to Craig and clicked his fingers. "Ten, fifteen minutes, doodlejumps; tops." He promised, before going back to his task with Kele.

"Well, you know what that means..." Diego said slyly, standing and snatching the guitar from Craig and hiding it behind his back, before strolling entirely unsubtly towards Taylor. "If you can bring yourself to stop eye fucking, that is..." He added with a snort, startling Taylor out of the intense and heated gaze he'd been locked into with Jake.

"Huh?" He asked, blinking dazedly as he looked away from his pilot and up at Diego. "What? I didn't do anyth-" he began, only to pause and frown at his friend. "Did you just swear?" He asked curiously, biting his lip as Jake squeezed his thigh again discreetly.

"Wow, Taylor." Diego sniggered, smirking down at him in such a way that Taylor immediately tensed in suspicion. "Of all the things for you to notice while locked into mental sex, it was my use of a swear word. I'm touched."

"Five more minutes, and  _he_  woulda been too." Jake groused, scowling up at Diego reproachfully. "This makes  _twice_  now, Short Stuff." He snarked.

"Okay, this just went from fun to awkward." Diego grumbled, clearing his throat as he produced the guitar from behind his back and thrust it at Taylor, who grabbed it in surprise. "As you're such a terrible and traumatizing friend, you can entertain us til the foods ready." He said, smirking as Taylor suddenly scowled in understanding. "C'mon dude, Craig's getting cranky." He insisted.

"I can't play guitar." Taylor said firmly, trying to push it back into Diego's hands, only for his friend to twist them away as he took a huge step backwards.

"Neither can Jake or Craig, and  _they_  tried." Diego sniggered, as Jake sniffed and scowled at him. "C'mon dude, it's  _one_  song... I bet Jake would totally love to hear you sing again."

"He has. He gets private concerts... And he much prefers them, too." Taylor snarked smugly, a tiny grin curling his lips as Diego grimaced, turning to Jake to plead his case, only for the pilot to snort at him in amusement.

"He's got a point." Jake admitted, shrugging his shoulder as he grinned up at Diego, as his face fell. "'Course... I got nothin' against just, one song." He added, looking up at Taylor slyly, as Diego brightened with a smug cheer.

"Oh, that was sneaky..." Taylor growled, glaring at his pilot in betrayal. "You're supposed to take my side." He accused petulantly, turning the guitar in his hands curiously.

"I agreed with you first." Jake defended, sniggering at Taylors sulky expression. "It'll take my mind off all this... awful,  _awful_  pain..." He sighed, laying a hand over his injured chest.

"If it's that painful, you're obviously too hurt for what I promised you earlier." Taylor snorted, eyeing his pilots display with blatant disbelief.

"Sorry, Short Stuff, tried my best." Jake sighed, spreading his palms to Diego as Taylor sniggered gleefully.

"Hmm, good Top Gun." He giggled, leaning forward to reward him with a light kiss.

"Taylor, come on!" Diego pouted, as Quinn walked over and leaned against his shoulder. "You've already wasted half the time we needed to kill. Now, just... Entertain us already, assbutt."

"Please, Taylor? It'd be nice to have something to take our minds off everything..." Quinn said, hazarding a worried look over at Craig, who was staring into the fire vacantly. Taylor groaned, throwing his head back to look at the sky briefly, before turning to scowl at his friends.

"Remind me, why am I friends with you?" He asked petulantly, as Quinn giggled and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Because we love you." She said, kissing his cheek before skipping back to Michelle, the two of then reading excited whispers quickly.

"Something fun please Taylor, maybe that we could dance to!" Michelle suggested a breath later, as Taylor scoffed and rolled his eyes, shifting out of Jake's lap with a sigh to sit cross legged beside him.

"The masses have spoken," Diego said wisely, as Taylor scowled up at him, mentally running through whatever songs he might know that fit the girls request.

"Shut up. I hate you." He snarked, looking down at the guitar thoughtfully as he plucked a few random notes.

"Love you too, buddy." Diego snickered, shuffling back to go sit with Varyyn and fidgeting in excitement. Taylor hung his head, hiding his fond smile at his friends ridiculous, if annoying behaviour. He sighed, trying to think of songs he knew which might not be too difficult to play. As he searched through his memory, he looked around his friends, his eyes settling on Craig, who was still staring into the fire forlornly. Taylors heart lurched, his thoughts turning to their still missing friends; specifically Zahra.

 _Did she manage to get away from Lundgren_..? He wondered, looking down to pluck a few uncertain notes.  _Where's she been all this time, however long it's been._.? He thought, biting his lip as he considered everything that had happened since his own watery dive from the helicopter. His fingers clutched the guitar tightly, as guilt swept through him, thinking of The Endless and everything the old man had told him.  _What if I could have done something..? To save her, stop her from falling._.? He wondered, taking a deep breath as he felt his heart clench painfully. I  _bet that bastard would know... He probably watched it happen so many times already. And what does that say exactly? I mean, he's **me...**_  He thought, gritting his teeth tightly as he lost himself to grief and resentment. He glanced at Jake, as his pilot reached over and squeezed his knee, his eyes heavy with concern as he seemed to sense the shift in Taylors mood.

"Sorry, lotta sings up there." He said quietly, offering a weak and watery smile briefly, before looking back down at the guitar.  _And I still have to tell them all about that too... And hope they won't hate me for all the pain I've caused them_. He thought, swallowing thickly, as he glanced around his friends with a brief flash of his weak grin. His gaze caught on Diego, who's gaze was flicking concernedly between Taylor and Jake, no doubt recalling the pilots warning from the previous evening. Taylor however, was reminded of Diego's impromptu and ridiculous demonstration, and he frowned as he sat slightly straighter, wiggling as he got comfortable and plucked a few notes on the guitar.  _Except I haven't... The Endless isn't me, not the real me... He looks like me, **was**  me...  **Once.**  But I've changed, and I can't blame myself, for whatever shit he's pulled._ He thought, as a song sprung to his mind. He frowned, looking down at the guitar strings as he cautiously plucked a few notes, knowing he wouldn't be able to play the whole thing, but settling for a rough background noise.

" _In this farewell, there's no blood, there's no alibi..."_  He began softly, his brow creased as he recalled The Endless disappearing beneath the lava, after their escape from the Threshold tunnels. "' _Cause I've drawn regret, from the truth, of a thousand lives... So let mercy come, and wash away..."_  He sang quietly, not noticing his small slip, as his fingers moved uncertainly over the strings, producing a roughly in tune melody.

" _What I've done, I'll face myself... to cross out what I've become, erase myself, and let go of what I've done_." He sang more confidently, thinking if the differences between himself and The Endless, other than the obvious aging.

" _Put to rest, what you thought of me, while I clean this slate, with the hands of uncertainty._.." He murmured, looking up at the clear sky, frowning at the thought of the way The Endless had assumed he would understand and agree with him. " _So let mercy come, And wash away..._ " He said, his confidence growing as ge felt some of the guilt in his heart clear away, finally separating himself from The Endless in his mind. " _What I've done, I'll face myself, to cross out what I've become, erase myself, and let go of what I've done..."_

He paused, cocking his head at the campfire, his gaze lost in its flames as he considered his past lives and how much he had changed over the countless tries to save his friends. " _For what I've done, I start again... And whatever pain may come, Today this ends. I'm forgiving what I've done._.." He sang, strumming more confidently, as he closed his eyes and allowed the words to filter into his conscience; finally smiling softly as he relaxed into the song.

" _I'll face myself, to cross out what I've become... Erase myself... And let go of what I've done_..." He sang, nodding to himself faintly, as his heart finally lightened, freed of the shadow of guilt which The Endless had burdened him with. " _What I've done... Forgiving what I've done..."_

Taylor bit his lip upon finishing, wincing at the silence which greeted him. He peeked up at Jake to see the pilot watching him speculatively, narrowing his eyes briefly before he grinned and opened his arm for Taylor to curl into his side.

"Well... Apparently Taylor doesn't quite get the meaning of fun or dance music." Michelle sighed, as Quinn giggled, finally breaking the awkward air over them. "But, I was still beautiful. Thanks, Taylor."

Taylor waved noncommittally, refusing to look over at his now appreciatively applauding friends, as he buried his face in Jake's shoulder; content to remain there for the remainder of the foreseeable future. "You okay?" Jake murmured quietly, squeezing his arm as he hugged him tightly to his side.

Taylor peeked up at him, smiling softly as he nodded. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm good." He said, turning his face to press a kiss to the pilots neck, as Jake hummed and stroked his fingers down Taylors side, content for the time being to let the subject drop.

The camp erupted into bustle and sound, as Kele grabbed a few shelled out coconut halves from his rucksack, the group immediately surging forward for food. Taylor laughed as Sean eagerly took the ladle and began serving everyone, looking over at Kele and Raj warmly. "Sit down, guys, you've earned it." He said, filling two bowls for Diego, who carried them over to Taylor and Jake.

"Don't go getting ideas about being waited on," he warned sternly, sniggering at Taylors withering glare. "Just this once. 'Cause I'm an awesome friend." He said, as Taylor rolled his eyes, but grinned at Diego fondly and bumped his fist to his friends when offered. Diego hesitated, seeming about to ask something, when he glanced at Jake and seemed to decide against it. "Well, enjoy..." He said awkwardly, before going to get his own bowl of food.

When each person had a filled bowl and had taken a seat around the campfire, they raised their spoons in toast to one another, before digging in eagerly. " _Oh. My. God_." Jake spluttered, his eyes wide as he stared down at his bowl in disbelief, while Taylor continued to eat, and watched his pilots awe in amusement.

"This is the  _best_  chili I've ever had." Estela gasped in agreement with Jake's awed praise, as she shook her head and quickly demolished her own bowl.

Craig had already inhaled his own bowl, and returned to the pot to serve himself a second helping. "Buddy's still got his skills!" He crowed, pointing over at Raj proudly.

"Thanks to Grandma..." Raj said fondly, stroking his fingers over his recipe book lightly, before grinning up at Taylor widely. "And Taylor." He said, as Taylor winked and threw him a thumbs up in reply.

"Everybody's hero." Quinn giggled, as she collected up everyone's empty bowl's, wrinkling her nose at him when he swatted her leg as she moved away to refill them with Michelle's help.

Taylor smiled around his friends, leaning into Jake's uninjured side as he watched them play with Kele's guitar, and eagerly accepted refills of chili from Quinn and Michelle. "So..." Jake hummed quietly, his chin brushing against Taylors brow as he held him close. "You ready to talk about it?" He asked, causing Taylor to snort at his frank question.

"Well, that was very subtle Top Gun." He huffed, looking up to find Jake glancing around the group to assess their privacy, before lowering his gaze to Taylors. "You weren't very good at the interrogation thing in the Navy, were you?"

"Stop tryin' to deflect," Jake murmured, dipping his head to kiss Taylors hairline briefly, before drawing back with a cocky grin. "Besides, my interrogation techniques ain't appropriate in present company." He added, as Taylor laughed.

"And since when does that stop you, exactly?" He snickered, sucking his wounded lip between his teeth playfully.

"Since Maybelline keeps glarin' at me." The pilot admitted quietly, and Taylor followed the brief flit of his eyes to see Michelle looking at them with a suspiciously raised brow. He smiled, waving innocently, before she narrowed her eyes and turned away. He turned back to Jake with a snigger, about to comment on the blondes suspicious nature, when Jake pressed a finger to his lips in anticipation. "Stop, deflectin'."

Taylor lowered his gaze, his lips parting around Jake's finger, as the pilot narrowed his eyes at him. He sucked Jake's finger softly, slowly raising his hand to the pilots and finally withdrawing it from his lips, hesitating a moment longer as he finally raised his eyes to Jake's. "No..." He said quietly, squeezing Jake's hand gently when the pilot visibly deflated in disappointment. "But, I'm  _nearly_  there..." He assured, kissing Jake's palm gently.

Jake heaved a deep sigh, shaking his head as he averted his eyes briefly. "So..." He huffed, swallowing heavily as he turned back to Taylor with a gleam of pain in his eyes which he couldn't quite hide in time. "Back to 'some day,' huh?" He snorted, squeezing Taylors side as he turned to look back at the others.

"No..." Taylor said quickly, shaking his head as he caught the pilots cheek and locked his eyes with Jake's. "I mean it. I just, I want us to find the others first... Grace, Zahra... Aleister. It, uh, it'll save me having to repeat myself." He said, his gut twisting nervously at the thought of explaining the truth after so long.

Jake frowned at him, shaking his head as he held him closer to his side. "What is it with you and Malfoy? You were there, you  _saw_  what he did; what almost happened because of him... How can ya just forgive that?"

Taylor grimaced, glancing around the others as his heart began to race in agitation. He hesitated, before slipping from Jake's side and pushing to his feet. "Come with me." He said, offering his hand to the pilot. Jake raised a brow, a slow but cocky grin building as he slid his hand into Taylors. "Don't get that look... It's not for  _that._  I just want to explain." He said, biting his lip nervously as he pulled Jake to his feet.

"Hey, I  _see_  you Taylor!" Michelle called, fuming as she glared at him. "Do not even  _think_  of doing anything funny with my patient!"

"Oh, I think 'funny' is the last thing he's thinking of doing just now..." Quinn giggled, as Taylor huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Talking and walking only, I promise." He said, watching Quinn's gleeful grin falter at the lack of fire in his rebuttal. "We won't be long." He called firmly, turning away before his friends could call them back.

He led Jake around the ruins, starting down the trail which would lead them to the waterfall he'd visited with Quinn. He walked in silence, gathering his thoughts and trying to decide how he might explain, finally pulling Jake to a halt just before they reached the cliffs. "So..." He said quietly, his heart hammering in his chest as he released Jake's hand, running his clammy hands over the sides of his wetsuit. "I uh, I had this...  _idea-"_  he hedged, turning around slowly as Jake groaned behind him.

"Aw hell, I'm really gonna  _hate_  this, ain't I?" The pilot sighed, running his hands through his hair as he looked over at Taylor in dread. "On second thoughts, I don't think I even wanna know. Forget it, keep ya damn secrets, I'll stop askin'-"

"Jake..." Taylor said, edging closer as he swallowed against the guilt and fear trying to rise up the back of his throat. "Okay, it was just a little backup plan, to get us into  **MASADA;**  you know, if the thing with the disguises didn't work or something..." He explained, capturing Jake's hands in his own and clutching them to his chest, as the pilot shook his head. "When we were trapped... Aleister saw another use for it."

"Yeah, to get in good with daddy!" Jake fumed, yanking his hands free and storming away from Taylor, moving over to a nearby tree and leaning against its trunk; as he hung his head and drew in a deep breath, while Taylor watched him with a broken expression. "He turned us over, Taylor! He sold us out! He knew  _damn_  well that-"

"We both did." Taylor said quietly, his tormented gaze locked on Jake, as the pilot scrubbed his free hand over his face roughly; turning towards Taylor with his hand still covering his mouth, disbelief clouding his cerulean eyes. "We knew there was a chance Rourke would just try to kill us all... But he reinstalled Zahra's virus, and opened the path to the helipad. He was going to cause a distraction... so we could all get away, as soon as Rourke left."

"Jesus fucking-" Jake scoffed, breaking off as he shook his head, his eyes wide at Taylors confession. He leaned back against the tree, and Taylors heart broke at the way the pilot gazed over at him, like he was seeing him for the first time. "And what Rourke did to  _you?_  What he made you-" he said, swallowing thickly as he averted his gaze.

"That was... a  _shock."_  Taylor admitted, wrapping his arms around his torso, trying to contain the pain raging through him. "I don't think  _anyone_  could have anticipated that..." He said quietly, lowering his eyes as shame consumed him.

"Holy crap, Taylor... You've done some  _dumb_  shit before but-" Jake began, sighing heavily as he ran a hand through his hair. "What the  _hell_  is the point of all this? I mean, what's Malfoy plannin' to  _do_  exactly?" He asked, after a long pause to collect himself.

Taylor sighed, looking up at the sky, the first hints of night creeping into the horizon. "Information, originally." He said with a sigh, his eyes tracing a delicate swirl of crimson through the otherwise clear blue sky. "To find out what Rourke knew, get the upper hand, beat the bastard at his own game...  _Now,_  though? There's so much more now..." He said, swallowing heavily as he turned aside, looking down as he kicked at the dirt path miserably.

Jake sighed, covering his face with his hands as he knocked his head back against the tree. "Do I even wanna know?" He asked tiredly, looking over and tipping his chin to signal Taylor keep going.

"You're kinda the biggest benefactor, actually." Taylor said quietly, his hands gripping his arms tighter as he pursed his lips briefly. "You remember I tried to tell you something? During the raid on the Arachnid ship?"

"After you disappeared in the smoke." Jake said firmly, scowling over at him furiously. "You realise we all went nuts, tryin' to get to you? Thinkin' you might be hurt?" He said, shaking his head as he turned away, swallowing thickly as his eyes darted among the trees, unable to focus in his emotional state. "You have any idea what everyone thought? What  _I_ -"

"Jake, I'm sorry... But, I  _had_  to talk to Aleister." Taylor pleaded apologetically, his eyes stinging with the threat of tears as Jake growled and pushed off the tree, stalking away irritably.

 _"Godammit,_  Taylor!" The pilot fumed, turning as he scrubbed his hand over his stubbled jaw. Taylor flinched, his heart sinking, as the pilots clear eyes blazed with betrayal and disbelief. "Why?! Christ, what the hell is it  _with_  you?! You always do this shit, you go off alone and for what, huh? What is so fucking important to you-"

" _Because he knows how to save Mike_!" Taylor cried, clutching his arms around his chest tightly, as his heart attempted to batter its way free. He looked over at Jake, the tears in his eyes finally falling, as he beheld the shocked expression on the pilots face. "He knows how to save Mike." He repeated quietly, sniffing as he scrubbed the heel of his palm over his eyes, jealousy gnawing at his gut; as he saw the flicker of hope light the pilots eyes. "Oh,  _right._  'Course..." He scoffed, feeding his jealousy for once, using it to fan his own temper so he could forget about the pain eating away at his heart.

"Now it's to save  _him,_  it's all worthwhile." He sneered, shaking his head as he avoided Jake's eyes. "Well, lucky you, soon enough you'll have your  _perfect_  best friend back." He promised sourly, his stomach turning even as he forced the words out.

"Don't be a fucking  _idiot,_  Taylor." Jake growled, scowling at him heatedly. "I told ya enough fucking times, nothings worth losing you."

"You  _haven't_  bloody lost me!" Taylor snarked back, slashing his arm through the air quickly, before gesturing towards himself. "I'm right  _here!_  I-"

 _"You_  knew you wouldn't be hurt,  _we_  didn't!" Jake yelled, cutting Taylor off as he turned away with a frustrated huff. " _I_... didn't." He said, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. Silence reigned between them for a long and pregnant pause, the air charged with their emotional outbursts; and repressions.

Taylor sucked in a deep breath, running his tongue across his teeth as his expression crumpled, his back to Jake as his temper died; leaving him feeling only brittle, and fragile. He lowered his eyes to the floor, his shoulders hunching as he tried to contain his grief, words failing him. He heard Jake sigh heavily, and after a moment which felt like an entire lifetime, the pilots arms curled around his chest; drawing the first hiccupped sob to escape him, as Jake rested his head against the back of Taylors shoulder.

"Taylor... You do some of the  _stupidest_  shit, I've ever known people to do,  _ever."_  The pilot huffed, as Taylor choked a half hysterical giggle, his hands rising to grasp Jake's firmly before his chest. "Half the time I dunno if I wanna kick your ass, or kiss you... or kiss your ass." He snorted quietly, his words making Taylor laugh, even though they were muffled by his shoulder. "But one thing I  _do_  know, is that I love you, Taylor... I just, I can't deal with you keep puttin' yaself in the crosshairs like this. I can deal with Malfoy bein' double-oh-dork. I can deal with dinosaurs flyin' outta rips in time. Hell, if I had to, I could probably deal with seein' Big Guys tattoo..." The pilot said, raising his head to rest his chin atop Taylors shoulder, as Taylor bit his lip to keep it from trembling. "But, I  _can't_  deal, with even just the thought... of losing you." He bit out, forcing the words past his hesitant lips, as he squeezed Taylors hands.

 _"Jake-"_  Taylor gasped, quickly breaking free of the pilots hold to turn and throw his arms around his shoulders, burying his face in Jake's jacket briefly. He grabbed the fabric tightly behind his back, quivering with the effort not to give into his emotions and break down. "I'm sorry, but it was the only way at the time! Aleister; he made the choice and I tried to tell him no! But it was too late, and I just, I had to make the best of it!" He said in a rush, his breath coming in ragged bursts, as Jake held him close and stroked the back of his neck. "I  _wanted_  to tell you, I really,  _really_  wanted to! But then we had Rourke to deal with, and he was so fucking  _sleazy,_  and it made me feel  _sick_  to do it; but I wasn't about to let him hurt you..!" He babbled, as Jake made soothing sounds beside his ear.

"And then, we had all that... With the chopper! And, I, I  _fell..._  Then when Yvonne dragged me back I-" Taylor choked off, his fingers clutching deeper into the pilots jacket as a sob finally tore itself free of his chest. "Jake, I'm  _so_  sorry... I just, I couldn't let Arachnid find out he's not his father's little pawn. If any of them, Mike included had found out, and told Rourke... Aleister and Grace would both be  _killed!_  And I-"

"Taylor, Taylor;  _breathe..._  Breathe, okay?" Jake said, pushing Taylor back from him and capturing his chin with his fingers. "I get it, okay, I get it. Now,  _breathe."_  He said, taking a deep breath himself and squeezing Taylors shoulder, encouraging him to repeat the action himself. The pilot swept the back of his fingers over Taylors cheek lightly, nodding in encouragement and relief when Taylor took several deep and shaky breaths for himself.

"He gave me their location." He said between deep breaths, watching the pilot intently, as Jake focused his attention onto Taylors breathing. "He told me that we needed to hurry. He said..." He paused, swallowing heavily, and forgetting to breath for a second, until Jake squeezed his shoulder. He locked his eyes onto Jake's, his hand curling into the pilots jacket loosely. "He said Mike is fighting whatever they did to him. That with a little more time, he can help him break free... If we can just get into that facility; we can get the Heart back, Grace back, Aleister back... And  _Mike_  back." He said, as Jake tensed, his eyes lowering to the floor briefly.

"You uh, you told him... As he was leavin', you said he should give up." Jake said slowly, looking up in realisation, as Taylors expression twisted with guilt and remorse.

"Mike just gave you a bruised lung... I wasn't exactly thinking past that." He said awkwardly, biting his lip as he looked down at Jake's shoulder. "Maybe, a part of me also just used that as an excuse..." He admitted, swallowing heavily before looking up to meet Jake's eyes again determinedly. "But Aleister  _knew..._  He  _knew_  I'd regret it; and I  _do!_  I regret thinking it, let alone suggesting it... It's just..." He exhaled a heavy sigh, clearing his throat as he glanced away quickly before looking back again. "In your idol; the, uh, the vision in it... You two, you... Shit, this is so hard to say aloud." He choked, looking down at the ground as he shuffled his feet and gripped Jake's jacket tightly. "God, it was hard enough to  _see_  it..." He whispered, as Jake massaged his shoulders, seeming to sense Taylors need to force the words out.

"He  _shot_  you." Taylor said suddenly, jerking his head up to meet Jake's surprised gaze briefly, before lightly tapping his finger over the area Jake had been shot. "He still had his mask, I didn't know it was him til... Til we fought and you-" he explained, swallowing heavily as Jake squeezed his shoulders supportively. "He shot you in the back... And, even then... You fought tooth and nail; to protect  _me._  I saw you kill him, and then I had to watch you die... All over again." He sobbed, before pausing to take a deep, and stabilizing breath. "When he hurt you," he said quietly, gently laying his hand over Jake's injury, several breaths later. "I guess a part of me just... couldn't help but go back to that. And, in that moment..." He hedged, swallowing heavily as he met Jake's eyes. "In that moment, part of me  _hated_  him." He admitted, his eyes darkening with guilt and shame.

"Taylor..." Jake sighed, shaking his head as he tried to absorb everything Taylor had confessed, his hand squeezing the back of Taylors neck gently. "Damn, Boy Scout, you don't do things by halves, do ya?" He finally huffed, scratching his ear as Taylor chuckled dryly, though there was no amusement in the sound. Jake knocked their foreheads together, his fingers scratching the back of his neck lightly as he held him close against him.

Taylor toyed with Jake's collar, avoiding his eyes as he tried to choke back the overwhelming tide of emotions surging within him. "... We should probably head back." He mumbled finally, sighing as he drew back, only for Jake to tighten his hold on him.

"Not yet." The pilot said firmly, shaking his head slowly. "Not like this. You'll only feel worse." He explained, scuffing Taylors jaw lightly with his knuckles and quirking his lips into a facsimile of a small smile.

"Don't you want me to?" Taylor asked quietly, glancing up at Jake to see his expression morph into a confused frown. "I mean, I get it... I kinda deserve it." He said, huffing a self depreciative chuckle as he looked down at the floor. "I can handle a little hate-"

"Taylor don't be a fucking idiot, I don't bloody hate you." Jake cut in quickly, groaning in exasperation as he ran a hand through his hair, watching Taylor as he bit his lip and stubbornly stared at the floor.

"I never said  _you..._  Though, I wasn't exactly sure after..." He said, gesturing vaguely between them as he glanced up briefly. "I guess I just-"

"You know, you could always just tell me whatever else is bothering you." Jake said suddenly, trailing his thumb over Taylors jaw. "Can't be any bloody worse than this, surely..." He scoffed, shaking his head and raising a brow when Taylor pointedly remained silent. "Aw hell, I was only bloody jokin' Taylor... Tell me it's not worse,  _please!"_  He groaned, shifting his weight to draw away when Taylor finally moved.

"I don't know!" He yelped, as he grabbed Jake's shoulders desperately, preventing him from moving away as he clutched the pilots jacket, digging his fingers in tightly. "I... I can't be the judge of that! It's just... I..." He paused, frantically searching for words as he raised his eyes to the pilots. "It's  _different."_  He said finally, shifting awkwardly at the vagueness of his explanation.

Jake exhaled a deep sigh, his hand tangling in his hair as he looked away briefly, before shaking his head in resignation as he looked back at Taylor again. "Okay..." He huffed, dropping his hand to his side to clap against his leg quietly.  _"Okay."_  He repeated, his hand rising again to squeeze Taylors shoulder reassuringly, as he leaned closer and rested his head against Taylors lightly. "We'll just... cross that bridge when we get to it then." The pilot said slowly, as Taylor released a shaky sigh of relief, his heart hammering in his chest as his fingers alternately clenched and released the pilots jacket.

They stood in silence for a long pause, embracing as they collected themselves and took comfort from each other "You know you're a goddamn idiot, right?" Taylor sniffed at Jake's quiet murmur, his lips quirking into a small grin and his eyes flicking up to meet Jake's, as the pilot shifted away slightly.

"Yeah... I've been told..." He whispered, a weak smile forming on his lips. "But, you know I'm  _your_  goddamn idiot, right?" He mumbled back, eliciting a brief snort from the pilot, even as he frowned and gently swiped his thumb over Taylors cheek, clearing away his lingering tears.

For a rapid heartbeat, Taylor imagined the world had faded away, seeing only Jake as he hesitantly closed the distance between them. The pilots kiss was unusually tentative, barely brushing his lips over Taylors, his small frown of concern never quite leaving him.

Taylor reciprocated the gentle pressure, his lashes fluttering against his cheeks as his eyes closed briefly, as his heart skipped a beat. His eyes flicked open again, to find Jake watching him, his clear eyes slowly clearing of doubt, even as they clouded with desire. With his heart racing in his chest, he stepped closer to the pilot, sealing their lips together in a firm kiss. A light, almost whimper escaped him, as Jake's frown melted away and his fingers tickled the short hairs at the back of his neck.

Jake's hummed, his hands trailing down Taylors sides slowly, stopping to squeeze at his hips; as something in his kiss changed. Gone was the pilots uncertainty, consumed by desire, hunger and passion, as he drew Taylor against him slowly.

Taylor melted into the deeper kiss, his arms slowly folding around Jake's shoulders as he arched against him, their kiss slowly turning heated and demanding on both sides. A soft groan bubbled from his throat, his hands curling into Jake's jacket tightly, drawing the pilot ever closer as heat began to curl in his gut. He nipped at Jake's lower lip, the action seeming to spur the pilot into motion, as his hands slid around Taylors back. He stepped forward as his fingers reached up to toy with the wetsuits zipper, driving Taylor backwards clumsily, as he began to tug and push at the pilots jacket urgently; finally freeing Jake's arms one at a time, before discarding it carelessly on the ground.

Taylors nails scraped against the pilots skin, as he scrabbled to pull his shirt higher, yanking it quickly over his head as they parted for breath; instantly surging together again as soon as it was tossed aside similarly to the pilots jacket. Taylor felt his back collide with the nearest tree, immediately arching against the pilot, as Jake finally grasped the zipper of his wetsuit and hastily dragged it down. He gasped as Jake tore free from the rapidly overwhelming kiss, his teeth grazing Taylors throat as he kissed his way to his shoulder, hurriedly pulling at his wetsuit to reveal the skin beneath.

Jake shoved the thick material to his waist, groaning as he felt Taylors bare torso against his own, the pilots hands in perpetual motion over his skin, attempting to touch everywhere at once. Taylors heart raced in his chest, his body flaring with heat, desire and need; as he littered his pilots shoulders and throat with desperate kisses, his own hands tugging at Jake's belt insistently. He hummed as he finally un-cinched the buckle, Jake's lips returning to his own hungrily, as he clawed at the pilots trousers and shoved them over his hips.

Jake devoured Taylors breathy moans and gasps eagerly, his kisses deep and hungry as fingers slid beneath the wetsuit, curling over Taylors ass as he pressed him against the tree. Jake rocked his hips to Taylors, relishing both the grind of friction against his cock, and Taylors muffled needful cry.

With a deep chested growl, Jake kissed his way along Taylors jaw, making his heart flutter, as the pilot trailed heated kisses and nips down his throat and chest. Taylors hands threaded themselves into his shaggy hair, holding him close as he watched him descend, hissing as the pilot grazed his teeth over his hip; while his hands hurriedly divested him of his wetsuit. He turned to face the tree, gasping and gazing down over his shoulder, as Jake nipped his ass sharply; before kissing his way up Taylors spine, his hands roaming over his bare skin eagerly.

Taylor flushed with heat and desire, his heart hammering as Jake plastered himself to his back. The pilots lips attached themselves to his shoulder urgently, one hand gripping his hip as the other guided his cock into him.  _"Mmmhh..."_  He groaned quietly, his fingers clawing at the trees rough bark, as Jake molded their bodies together. The pilots free hand left trails of fire across his chest wherever he touched, his hips snapping forward eagerly as he thrust into Taylor, his own deep, rough sounds of pleasure accompanying Taylors in a harmony that filled the air around them.

Taylor tipped his forehead to the tree, panting heavily as Jake scratched numerous rough kisses along his shoulders and over his neck, his body trembling as heat coiled in his gut and pulsed through him in waves.  _"Hhhmm..!"_  He groaned as he bit his lip, his fingers curling and his nails scraping at the tree, as he turned his head to glance back at Jake.

The pilot continued to lather Taylors available skin with whiskery kisses almost feverishly, his hips beginning to hitch as he neared his peak. Taylor gasped as Jake struck the sensitive nerves of his prostate, his head rolling back to the pilots shoulder, allowing him access to his throat which he eagerly rushed to cover with his lips, his tongue and his teeth. Taylor deliberately clenched his ass around Jake's cock, drawing a deep groan from him as the pilot bit the junction between Taylors shoulder and neck, as his free hand ran along his arm to cover his hand, fingers curling over Taylors and locking tightly. Taylor groaned, the heat in his gut rising as Jake's hand left his hip at last to palm over his neglected cock, drawing him to a powerful orgasm which rippled through his body and made him arch towards the tree, hanging his head as Jake stilled against him, his cock throbbing in his ass.

They panted heavily, both leaning against the tree in sweaty, but satisfied exhaustion. After a moment of content silence, Taylor raised his head and glanced over his shoulder, frowning at the faint bite mark he could see, until his eyes met Jake's. The pilot withdrew, barely enough for Taylor to half stumble to face him, before leaning against him again; his lips meeting Taylors in a heated but languid kiss, as Taylor cupped the pilots jaw in his hands.

Taylor felt his heart flutter, as Jake drew back and knocked their foreheads together, the pair of them catching their breath as they exchanged heated gazes and affectionate caresses. "... Michelle's gonna  _kill_  me..." Taylor murmured quietly, brushing strands of Jake's sandy hair from his clammy brow.

The pilot snorted, shaking his head as he drew back slightly, trailing his fingers over Taylors throat and drawing small shivers of pleasure from him. "She'll have to get in line." He said, sighing as his gaze turned contemplative. "You know you gotta tell 'em, right?" He asked quietly, brushing his fingers lightly over the faint bite mark he'd left.

Taylor grimaced, nodding his head reluctantly. "Can it wait til morning, at least?" He asked hopefully, shooting the pilot a wink and a brief flash of a cocky grin. "Suddenly I am  _so_  ready for sleep..." He said, as Jake snickered and nuzzled his throat affectionately.

"Guess one more night ain't gonna hurt." Jake said, brushing a light trail of scratchy kisses over Taylors cheek. The pilot sighed as he drew back, crouching low to grab Taylors wetsuit and help him back into it.

Taylor smirked down at him, enjoying the sight as he ran his fingers through Jake's hair, his nails lightly grazing his scalp. He choked however, as Jake pressed a lingering kiss to his hip, before straightening, and drawing the wetsuit higher over his waist. "Great memories, I have of this thing..." Jake murmured fondly, as he rolled the thick material up Taylors chest.

"Hmm," Taylor hummed in agreement, his eyes locked onto Jake's as the pilot reluctantly dropped his hands from the wetsuit, leaving the rest to Taylor, as he began to redress himself. He silently stuffed his arms into the sleeves, as Jake buckled his belt and watched the last of Taylors skin disappear beneath the wetsuit with a sigh. He snorted as he tugged the zipper up, stepping toward his pilot and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "You don't have to sulk. I can almost guarantee that was not the last time you'll get me out of my clothes..." He sniggered, as Jake huffed.

"I ain't likin' that 'almost'." He groused, rolling his eyes and slipping his hand into Taylors, before his expression turned serious. Taylor held his breath, certain the pilots thoughtful silence could only mean something unpleasant was coming. "Taylor..." Jake hedged awkwardly, his clear eyes rising slowly, the guarded look in them barely masking his pain. "What's done, is done. I ain't gonna say I like it, or I'm even over it... But, I get  _why_  ya did it." He said slowly, distractedly tracing a light pattern across Taylors palm. "I just... I can't-" the pilot said, swallowing thickly as the words dissolved on his tongue.

Taylor bit his lip, resting his forehead to the pilots cheek gently. "I promise." He said quietly, looking up when Jake jerked back in surprise. "No more going it alone. We do it  _together,_  and we share it all... I wanna tell you everything, Jake... and I  _will."_  He assured, his dark eyes blazing with sincerity and conviction.

"... That include this, other thing?" Jake asked hesitantly, as Taylor glanced away and sighed, squeezing the pilots hand firmly.

"Yes..." He said thickly, nodding his head as he turned back to Jake with a tiny smile gracing his lips. "But not tonight.  _Soon,_  though. I promise." He said, squeezing Jake's hand again as he moved along the path and grabbed the pilots shirt, tossing it onto his head with a small giggle. "Now cover up already, it's bad enough I'm gonna gave to keep this bite covered the next coupl'a days, let alone if Michelle see's you even slightly dishevelled..." He said, shivering at the thought of the blondes fury.

"You're lucky it was only a bite, a little 'un at that." Jake scoffed, pulling on his shirt, as he moved away to scoop up his jacket, before quickly swinging his arms in the sleeves. "C'mon, Boy Scout..." He sighed, tipping his head back towards the camp. "Let's go and get this over with, then we can get some sleep."

"Oh, right, uh... Right now?" Taylor balked, as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes. "I thought... you said, 'one more night won't hurt'?" He said awkwardly, fidgeting with the sleeve of his wetsuit.

"I  _know,_  then I came to my  _senses."_  Jake snorted, offering his hand to Taylor. "So, c'mon. Let's get goin'. This way ya can't wriggle outta it, come mornin'."

"I mean, I guess... Yeah. That, uh, that makes sense..." He coughed, stepping towards Jake reluctantly and taking the pilots offered hand. "I mean, are you  _sure?_  Maybe we should sleep first after all, I'm pretty tired after everything, and-" he began nervously, twisting his free hand into the side of his wetsuit.

"Taylor, shut up." Jake snorted, leading him back along the path. "If you do try and sleep first, you'll just get yaself in a state." He said knowingly, glancing back at him with a lopsided grin, as Taylor pouted and pointedly averted his eyes, dragging his feet as he trailed along behind Jake. He bumped into the pilots back, when Jake stopped abruptly, his head cocked as he peered around the slowly darkening path suspiciously. "... We ain't alone..." He murmured quietly, squeezing Taylors hand, before he narrowed his eyes as he looked into the trees at the edge of the path.

"Somebody's been naughty..!" Sang a cheerful voice, followed by a delighted giggle.

"Oh no..." Taylor groaned, closing his eyes and shaking his head in dejection. With a giggle, Quinn sprang around a tree, beaming at them joyfully, as she clasped her hands behind her back and grinned over at him. "Please, tell me you didn't-"

"Oh, we heard plenty enough to know that Michelle is gonna be  _so_  mad at you..." She said lightly, as she skipped over to join them on the path.

 _"We..?"_  Taylor asked, desperately hoping he'd misheard, and groaning when another figure emerged behind Quinn, noticeably less joyfully.

"This is so traumatizing, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it... There are some sounds a person should not have to think of, in association with their best friend." Diego groused, shaking his head as he ran his fingers through his beard.

"Oh my god..." Taylor choked, flushing as he stared at them in horror, before burying his burning face in his hands, as Jake chuckled quietly.

"You're gonna get in trouble!" Quinn sing-songed, as Diego grimaced and scowled at Jake accusingly, though the pilot merely grinned and shrugged unashamedly.

"Quinn, come on, don't  _do_  this to me..." Taylor groaned, slowly dragging his hands over his face and looking over at the redhead pleadingly. "Please?"

"Michelle's gonna kick your booty..." Quinn giggled as she danced backwards down the path towards the camp, her eyes glittering with mirth as Taylor jogged after her.

"Quinn... Quinn,  _no!"_  He called firmly, scowling as the redhead turned with a giggle, and raced away.  _"Quinn!_  You're supposed to be my friend!" He yelled, chasing after her quickly, leaving Jake and Diego to walk back to the ruins themselves. "Quinn!  _Don't_  tell Michelle!" He called pleadingly, hearing Quinn's giggle travel back down the path to him. He raced after her, as she twirled along the path, finally catching up to her when she stopped before the final bend, turning to face him with a huge grin.

"Give me  _one_  good reason, I shouldn't tell her you two did the deed?" She demanded, jabbing her finger into his chest accusingly. "Which, I might add, you expressly promised you were not going to do!" She added, folding her arms over her chest as she grinned widely at him.

"Other than, 'I have no desire to die at the hands of a small and irate blonde'?" Taylor panted as he raised a brow at her, already tired from his emotional experience and exertions with his pilot. "It, uh... Wasn't supposed to happen?" He offered weakly, as the redhead scoffed at him and raised her brow. "Look, it just... Things were... I, we-" he hedged, hanging his head as his words mushed together. He looked back up at Quinn with an expression twisted by guilt, which made the redheads grin faltered slightly. "It wasn't planned, exactly, it was just... I needed... We, needed-"

"Ariel, stop torturing him, he's already strung up enough." Jake sniggered, as he and Diego caught up to them. The pilot strolled over to Taylors side and took his hand, raising it to his lips briefly before stuffing it in his jacket pocket with his own, successfully distracting Taylor from his mounting distress. "Just calm down already, nobody is gonna tell Maybelline; so she'll be free to be mad at you, just for bein' an idiot, like everyone else."

"Taylor... Are you okay?" Quinn asked, taking his free hand in her own. "I was never gonna tell her, you know?" She said, pouting up at him worriedly. "I'm sorry, if I-"

"Don't worry about it, Red." Jake said, ruffling her hair as he turned to look at Taylor. "We, uh, just had a bit of a rough evenin'. He's still feeling a little...  _raw."_

"I'll bet." Diego muttered darkly, scowling at Jake, who ignored him in favour of meeting Taylors gaze.

"Sooner it's over, Boy Scout, sooner we can sleep." He said quietly, as Taylor bit his lip and nodded, his stomach churning nervously.

"Taylor..?" Diego asked worriedly, watching Taylor in concern, as he swallowed thickly, but gave no verbal response. He tipped his head towards the camp, trailing along beside Jake as the pilot led the way back to camp, with Quinn and Diego exchanging curious, concerned glances behind them.

As Jake led him back into camp, Taylor felt his heart rise in his throat, nervous energy filling him and making him fidget. "Yo, look who's finally found their way back!" Craig called, as he spotted them shuffling into the clearing, a huge grin on his face as he demolished another bowl of chili eagerly.

"Hey, good walk?" Estela asked pointedly, smirking over at them knowingly. Taylor glanced up at Jake pleadingly, the pilot huffing as he squeezed his hand and tipped his head towards them all encouragingly, as Quinn and Diego crushed past them to join the others.

Taylor grimaced, looking around the group guiltily as his friends expressions faded from amusement to concern. "So..." He said awkwardly, picking at the collar of his wetsuit distractedly. "There's, uh... There's something I  _probably_  should have told you all-" he began, only to startle when an eerie noise came out of the ruins. A sound which was between a rustling, chattering and shrieking; all in one. A chill crept up Taylors spine, and he whirled to Jake with wide eyes. "This is a sign...  _I'm taking this as a sign!_ " He cried, his heart racing as he freed his hand from Jake's and ran them both through his hair. He looked around the group frantically, his throat constricting with panic. "I'm not the only one who heard that, right?!" He demanded, as Jake gripped his shoulders and tried to encourage him to meet the pilots eyes.

"I heard it..." Sean confirmed, as Jake fought against Taylors panicked writhing, stepping closer to get a better grip on him. "What  _was_  that?!" The athlete demanded, as Jake finally captured Taylors gaze, his hands curled around the back of his head as he held him close.

"Breathe..." He ordered sharply, demonstrating a slow and deep breath as Taylors hands fell to the pilots arms, clutching at his jacket sleeves desperately. "It ain't a sign, it's just... Uh, it's just... Aw hell, just shut up and  _breathe,_  Boy Scout."

"That's just the ghost." Kele said, utterly unbothered by the strange sound, as he plucked and tuned his guitar effortlessly.

 _"Just_  a ghost?!" Michelle cried, as she stared at the World War Two soldier in wide eyed horror.

"How  _auspicious!"_  Varyyn cried cheerfully, a wide grin on his face as he turned to Kele eagerly. "Has it been here long?"

"I'm not sure if I should be proud or terrified that you're enjoying this so much..." Diego sighed, shaking his head at Varyyn in disbelief of the Elyyshar's joyous awe.

"I'm not sure." Kele hummed dismissively, frowning as one of his strings remained stubbornly out of tune. "I've tended not to stay in one place."

"So, uh," Diego hedged, recovering from his shock at Varyyn's pleased reaction. "Is this a Casper the Friendly Ghost situation or-" he cut of suddenly, as the noise surged in strength. Taylor gasped and fliched, trying to squirm away from the ruins, but his pilot enfolded him in his arms, frowning as the rest of the group dropped their bowls and covered their ears tightly. "Nope, that was  _definitely_  a Dementor." Diego concluded dejectedly, as the noise finally subsided.

"Shit, what is it Taylor?" Jake asked, drawing back to peer at him worriedly, as he squeezed Taylors shoulders and neck reassuringly. "You're shakin' like a damn leaf..."

"I don't know _... I don't know_.." Taylor mumbled, shaking his head as fear clutched his heart, knowing only if he ventured into the ruins something very bad would happen; yet also knowing, he needed to go in. He was distracted, when a loud crash came from the trees on the other side of the clearing, feeling his heartbeat all the way up his throat. "Hide in the brush..." He whispered, gazing around with wide eyes as his friends remained still. " _Everyone, hide in the brush_!" He called desperately, relieved when his friends began scrambling to flatten themselves to the ground, and huddle against a ruined wall. He hurried over with Jake, flattening themselves out of sight, before peeking his head out, to see a brief flash of Arachnid armour.

"Good call, Boy Scout." Jake murmured, his eyes wide as he watched the soldiers for himself; too busy retreating to even notice their hastily abandoned campsite.

" **Squad Beta Commander to Control, we need backup here! Repeat, requesting backup**!" One yelled into their comms, while the others scrambled to catch up to them.

 **"D-don't leave me behind**!" Another pleaded, as they tripped and fell to the back of the group, before hurrying up and racing after their squad. As their voices faded into the distance, the group poked their heads out grin their hiding spots, and slowly returned to the camp.

"Nope," Raj said, shaking his head ominously, as he watched the direction of the hastily retreating soldiers with wide eyes. "That is  _not_  a friendly ghost!"

"Actually..." Estela said slowly, glancing over at Taylor meaningfully. "I think it  _might_  be." She said, as she reached into her pocket.

"You  _did_  see the soldiers, screaming like babies... Right, Katniss?" Jake snorted, shaking his head at her, until she pulled out the photo of her family.

"Remember that  _thing,_  that approached me on the beach?" She said eagerly, flicking her photo thoughtfully. "What if that spirit, is also this spirit?"

" _Not the same_..." Taylor whispered, shaking his head vehemently, until Jake drew him into a tight hug, allowing him to hide his face in the pilots shoulder.

Raj pulled out his grandmothers recipe book, looking over at Estela with a nod. "I hear you. That ghost thing helped me out of a  _real_  tight spot." He said, swallowing thickly as he ran his fingers over the books spine lovingly.

Sean rubbed his fathers watch on his wrist thoughtfully, glancing up at his friends with a firm expression. "Helped me too. Whatever this spirit is, it's  _definitely_  a friend."

"Whether its a friend or not, if Arachnid are here; it probably means Rourke is interested in it." Quinn said thoughtfully, frowning at Taylor worriedly as he drew back from Jake's shoulder and took a deep breath.

Taylor exhaled slowly, trying to grapple his feelings into a box, and shoving it to the back of his mind. He smiled unconvincingly, as Jake held his cheek and drew him closer, his clear eyes silently demanding to know if he was okay. "I'm... I'm good, now... I, uh... sorry." He said weakly, squeezing Jake's wrist briefly, before breaking away to go and grab his bag.

"Do you think it has to do with the Heart?" Sean asked, as Taylor quickly rummaged through his bag and found his thrillseeker gear.

"If Rourke wants it, most likely. But who knows, maybe its just another  _trophy_  he's after." He said bitterly, as he stepped around the side of the ruins and stripped out of his wetsuit. He said nothing as Jake leaned against the corner of the building, watching silently as Taylor quickly redressed into his regular clothes, quickly tying his boots before shoving his wetsuit into his bag.

"Hey," Jake said, snagging his wrist as he made to brush past the pilot. "You know I ain't gonna let nothin' hurt... or take ya, right?" He asked quietly, his fingers lightly brushing against Taylors, as he sighed and deflated slightly.

"I know..." He said, swallowing thickly as he leaned closer to Jake's side, his fingers curling with the pilots loosely. "I just... I get the feeling that, this whatever it is... it isn't gonna turn out to be something, even  _you_  can protect me from, Top Gun." He said, frowning as he looked over at Jake longingly. "Or... That you're gonna wanna."

Jake frowned, shifting away from the wall and gripping Taylors chin firmly between his fingers. "That  _ain't_  gonna happen." He said determinedly, his clear eyes blazing with sincerity and conviction, though Taylor still felt hollow and uncertain.

"... We should go." He said quietly after an awkward pause, sniffing as he dragged the back of his hand over his stinging eyes, and pulled away from the pilot, hurrying back to his friends.

"Guys, this isn't fair." Diego complained, as Taylor darted a glance at him, before looking away and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I left my proton pack at home." He said, his face falling as Taylor snorted, despite the hollow sense of dread building in his gut.

"Okay, so how exactly are we plannin' to keep a  _ghost,_  outta Phony Stark's hands?" Jake asked, sidling up to Taylor and stubbornly taking his hand, as Taylor choked a grateful sigh of relief.

"Forget that." Craig exclaimed, his eyes wide as he gazed around them all nervously. "How do we get it to talk to us?"

"Maybe we should offer it tribute." Taylor snarked sarcastically, glancing at Jake and biting his lip apologetically, as the pilot sighed and frowned at him.

"Ooh, on Dia de los Muertos, my abuelita would light candles and make sugar skulls..." Diego offered eagerly, looking over at Taylor hopefully. "Would that work?"

"I'm sorry, do you guys see any candles or sugar, just  _laying_  around?" Michelle demanded, scowling at them both, as they ducked their heads sheepishly.

"We could kill a small animal!" Raj cried, his eyes wide as he mimicked the use of a hammer in the air. Taylor stared at him with a raised brow, looking back at Diego in equal discomfort, as they edged a step away from the large boy.

"Wow, Raj." Diego said, rubbing his ear awkwardly. "Way to escalate there." He said, clearing his throat as he averted his gaze.

"As...  _delightful,_  as that sounds," Sean hedged, his face twisting in a grimace as he blatantly tried to push away what the large boy had said. "Arachnid could be back any moment... We don't have time for that."

"Yay, for the small animals." Taylor snarked quietly, biting his lip against a small grin, when he heard Jake snort in amusement.

"This is too complicated." Kele sighed, putting his guitar down and turning towards them all with a confused frown. "Why not just walk in and see what we can find?"

"Oh,  _god..."_  Diego sighed, rubbing his hand over his brow as he shook his head faintly. "It's like there's  _two_  of Taylor..." He said, flashing his friend a smile, which faltered when Taylor refused to retaliate to his baiting.

Jake scowled over at Kele, his thoughts obviously travelling a similar path to Diego's, as his hand tightened around Taylors. "Stay out of this, Jason Mraz!" He snarked, as Taylor squeezed his hand and tried to soothe him. "We don't  _need_  your help!"

 _"Jake!"_  Quinn scolded, glaring at the pilot hotly. "Be reasonable!" She said, as he threw her a brief scowl, before turning away with a huff of frustration. Quinn glanced at Taylor, who shook his head, smiling unconvincingly.

"I mean, walking in seems like less work than making it mad." Raj hummed, soresding his palms as he glanced around the group. "Or, ya know, killing a squirrel."

"How do we know this wont end like a horror movie?" Diego asked, the first touch of hysteria creeping into his voice, until Varyyn walked up behind him and settled his arm around his shoulders to calm him.

"Only one way to find out, right?" Taylor sighed, turning to his friends with a false, but encouraging grin. "Trust me though, you'll be fine."

"I'm coming..." Michelle sighed reluctantly, her face twisting into a distrustful grimace, as she eyes the ruins warily. "But just so I can say 'I told you so' when we're about to get murdered."

"Right, cheerful." Taylor said, nodding briefly as he turned to face the ruins, a chill passing through him as the hollowness in his gut intensified. Just as he moved forwards however, Jake's firm grip on his hand pulled him back.

"Boy Scout, you  _sure_  about this? You were just freakin' out pretty damn hard, and I-" the pilot began, only to fall silent at the first genuine smile to appear at the corners of Taylors lips.

"C'mon, Top Gun..." Taylor urged quietly, tugging his hand lightly. "Since when has being scared had anything to do with it?" He said, taking another brief moment to savour the comfort and warmth of his pilots hand in his own. "If Rourke wants whatever's in there... We gotta at least  _try_  and spoil his day by stopping him from getting it, right?"

"Heh," Jake snorted, grinning up at him fondly. "Can't deny that, Boy Scout." He said, squeezing Taylors hand before allowing him to pull free, following him towards the entrance of the ruins.

Taylor hesitated as he approached the dark doorway at the end of the courtyard, as the strange and eerie noise filled their ears again.  ** _"Rrrreeeeee..."_**  It growled ominously, as Taylor clenched his teeth and tried to block it out, determined not to fall apart again.

"It's not too late to turn around yet, is it?" Diego asked, glancing at Taylor nervously, as his friend shook his head.

"Diego, it was too late, as soon as you set foot on Jake's plane..." Taylor mumbled, as Diego frowned over at him in confusion. "What?" He asked, as Diego stared at him a moment longer.

"Nothing." He said, shaking his head as he smiled up at Taylor wistfully. "Just... thinking how different it might have been, had we never come here."

"Hey, it hasn't all been bad..." Taylor huffed, his heart lightening as his friend glanced towards Varyyn. "We became adventurers... Fell in love... I'd say that outweighs the whole, constantly running for our lives thing."

"Pfft, maybe for  _you..."_  Diego snorted, shaking his head as Taylor laughed at his reaction. "Personally, I want a bed and a day where Varyyn and I can actually be alone."

 _"'Alone?'"_  Taylor huffed, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "What is this 'alone,' you speak of?" He asked, sniggering when his friend shoved him playfully. He paused, bumping his shoulder to Diego's lightly as he realised what his friend had done. "Thanks, assbutt." He said warmly, as Diego grinned back at him.

"Come on bro, we don't have time to chicken out." Craig said firmly, strolling up to the doorway confidently, but pausing before entering. "Let's just do this, before it gets full on dark out here."

"You mean," Michelle drawled slowly, beaming a huge grin at the jock, as Sean chuckled fondly. "Like  _you_  did at the haunted house , sophomore year?" She giggled innocently.

"I got  _no_  idea what you're talkin' about!" Craig scoffed, scowling back at the blonde. "The zombies led me out the emergency exit, ao I could see the  _real, hardcore_  part of the house."

Taylor cleared his throat, fighting off his amusement, as he gently shouldered by Craig. The warmth he'd collected from his friends faded almost instantly, as he began walking up the steps as calmly as he could, pretending not to notice the faint quiver in his hands.

"See? Taylors going!" Michelle said, nudging Craig's shoulder repeatedly, was she giggled at his lingering hesitance. "You can't  _not_  go now!" She said, as Craig grumbled, but followed behind Taylor.

As everyone walked through the shadowy doorway, rusting and scratching noises seemed to close in around them. A shiver travelled down Taylors spine, and the hairs stood up along his arms, as he forcibly reminded himself to take deep breaths. "Is it just me, or did it just get  _very_  cold for a tropical environment?" He asked, a disparaging note of panic in his tone. He glanced across his shoulder, as Jake came to stand beside him, silently leaning their shoulders together in a gesture of comfort.

"Hey, Spirit Dude." Raj called, as Taylor flashed his pilot a small grateful grin. "Buddy, ol' pal, ol' friend... We're not here to hurt you." The large boy assured, peering around the dark interior of the ruins nervously. "Be nice...  _Pleeease?"_

"Its a ghost, Raj, not a puppy." Michelle sighed derisively, shaking her head as she folded her arms over her chest and scowled at him.

Taylor bolstered his nerve, and made his way down the rough, uneven steps; only to stumble and catch his hand on the wall to stop his fall.  _"Whoa!"_  He gasped, as he righted himself.

"You okay, Taylor?" Quinn called, looking over worriedly as he straightened and threw her a rough salute.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He assured, huffing as he considered his almost fall. "I just-" he cut off suddenly, his stomach clenching with nausea as he looked at his hand, only to find it covered with blood. "...  _Urgh-"_  he choked, glancing at the wall to find words were written across it in thick swaths of blood.

**STAY AWAY**

"... This is friendly ghost speak for 'Hi, be my friend,' right?" Diego asked hopefully, as Taylor began to frantically scrub his hand against the wall, heedless of the rough rock against his palm in his focus to removed the awful stain from his hand.

"There's more! Cast an eyeball at this!" Kele called, just as Jake grabbed Taylors wrist, preventing him from hurting himself against the wall as he began to clear the blood from his hand with his shirt.

**YOU DON'T BELONG HERE**

**I CAN TASTE YOUR FEAR**

"What emo punk band is this ghost listening to?" Jake sneered derisively, as he glanced at the scrawled notes dismissively, before refocusing on Taylors hand. He looked up to see the panic finally fading from Taylors eyes, and he sighed in relief, as he drew him into a light, one armed hug.

"Hopefully, one that's pacifist." Raj said gloomily, shivering as he eyed Taylors unnerved state sympathetically.

"Alright," Sean said, drawing everyone's attention, as he clapped his hands briefly. "We don't know when Arachnid's coming back... Let's look around, and be quick about it." He said, nodding to them all sharply before moving away to take his own advise.

Taylor drew back from Jake's embrace, gripping his shoulder briefly in thanks of his help and support. Their eyes locked in a brief, but comforting exchange, before they nodded sharply at each other and broke out in quiet chuckles of amusement. Taylor averted his eyes as Jake moved away, looking around to see what appeared to be an old fountain fille with dark green water on his left.  _Uhh, computer says; no way josé..._  He thought, his nose wrinkling in distaste.

He turned to see a makeshift shrine sitting behind him, covered in bizarre trinkets and dead candles, and he raised a brow in intrigue. He glanced around, but the only other thing he was able to see was another wall, which had been half destroyed by a large tree.

He turned back to the shrine, to find Varyyn and Diego crouched near a collection of trinkets, around a wooden idol. "What  _is_  this?" Diego asked, his eyes wide as he stared at the intricate carvings on the wooden idol.

"Do you remember, the religious war that my people fought?" Varyyn asked, watching Diego's fascination with a soft smile. "Some sects, believed that praying to individual Catalysts, would bring them sooner."

Taylor blinked, looking around with a frown, confused why such a place would make him feel so entirely uncomfortable. "Can you tell which one of us this is for?" He asked, peering over at the large tree destroying the far wall curiously.

He looked back down as Diego lifted the worn wooden idol ro inspect it, only die something to drop from a hole in its side. His frown deepened, as he crouched and picked up a tarnished silver pen, holding it close to read a familiar engraving along the side.

_Grace Tamara Hall._

Taylor shook his head in disbelief, running his fingers along the engraving, before looking up at Diego with wide eyes. "This... This belongs to Grace!" He choked, looking back down at the pen thoughtfully as Diego jerked backwards in surprise.

 _"What?!_  She was  _here?"_  He demanded, looking around in disbelief, as Taylor frowned anad shook his head.

"No... no, I don't think she's ever been here, guys..." Taylor said slowly, his fingers curling around the own tightly, as he imagined just who could have given it to the Vaanti in the first place.

"This pen looks  _old,_  Taylor." Diego said, blowing out a deep puff of air slowly. "This much tarnish on the silver-"

 _"Nooooooo!"_  Craig's dwvastared wail made them all jump in surprise, everyone turning towards the jock, to find him stooped inside a narrow alcove. In his arms, he shakily held a skeleton; one with an unmistakeable maroon streak of hair, still attached to its decaying scalp.

"No..." Taylor choked quietly, his heart hammering as he stared at the weakly sobbing Craig, and the decaying skeleton in his arms. "No, it can't-" he muttered to himself, backing away as he shook his head in refusal of what he saw.

"Is that..." Quinn gasped, staring down at the maroon streak of hair in obvious disbelief. "That  _can't_  be Zahra, right?" She said, her hand rising to cover her mouth, as Craig mournfully removed the bracelets from the skeletons bony wrists, holding them up for all to see.

Taylor covered his face with his hands, backing up against the wall as he refused to believe what was before him.  _No, no, no, no, no... We're all supposed to live now, to fix everything together_... He thought desperately, as his body began to tremble.  _He promised, that bastard promised me everyone was alive!_  He thought furiously, his hands balling into fists, as betrayal and grief coursed through him. He looked up when a hand settled on his shoulder, his guilt riddled gaze meeting Jake's grief stricken one, as they silently stared at one another in shock. Slowly, Taylor began to shake his head, and Jake squeezed his shoulder in response; swallowing heavily as he turned back to Craig. A moment later, Taylor did the same, to find the jock's large body was shaking.

Raj gasped, as Michelle stepped away in horror, her hands over her face as she backed into Sean, who wrapped his arm around her and held her close. "No..." She breathed, turning to bury her face in Sean's broad chest.

"There's writing over here..." Raj said slowly, his eyes wide from shock, as he turned towards the wall opposite Craig and the skeleton. "It says, 'you will be next'." He said quietly, as Quinn began to cry. Estela kicked angrily at the tree, and all the while; Craig just stood there, face red with rage.

"We had only just..." He choked, shaking his head as be tenderly swept the maroon streak from covering an empty eye socket. "I was going to..." He hedged, clenching his fists around the bracelets, for once in his life; looking small, and defenseless.

"Craig..." Michelle gasped, turning back to him, and reaching for his shoulder, only for him to storm away in his rage, punching at the wall viciously.

 _"Raaaaaaughhh!"_  He growled furiously, repeating the motion several more times, until his knuckles were scraped and bleeding.

"Hey man, hold on-" Sean began, releasing Michelle and hurrying to his friends side, trying to pull the jock away from the wall. Craig shoved him back so hard, Sean fell to the stone floor, staring up at Craig's furious glare in disbelief.

"Your girl's still here." The jock snarled, jabbing his finger at Sean accusingly. "Don't fucking tell me to 'hold on', when you wouldn't yourself, bro!" He said viciously, slashing his arm through the air.

"Craig, stop!" Taylor called, his heart breaking as he watched Craig lose himself to his grief. "You need to breathe!" He called, as Jake scoffed beside him.

"Try takin' ya own damn advise, Boy Scout." The pilot said, scowling at him in concern, as Taylor noticed his own laboured breathing. He reached up to squeeze Jake's hand on his shoulder, noticeably making an effort to take deep, stabilizing breaths. He looked back at Craig, to see the jock whip his head around, glaring into the dark recesses of the ruin.

" _Hey! Ghost_!" He snarled vengefully, his eyes blazing with hatred, pain and fury. " _Come out so I can kick your ass!_ " He demanded, beating his fist against another stone, just as a loud snapping sound, echoed across the plaza.

Taylor gasped, as the floor beneath them all began to shake. "Uh, Big Guy... I think you made it angry." Jake said slowly, eyeing the floor distrustfully.

"Shut up, McKenzie, you'd have done even worse, already!" Estela groused, scowling over at him, though her eyes were without heat. "Don't piss him off any more than he already is, with your  _goddamn_  whining!"

"Hey, I do  _not_  whine!" Jake yelled back, scowling back as he began to bicker with the dark haired girl. Taylors eyes widened, as the floor sank almost a foot suddenly, lurching beneath him dangerously.

 _"Aah!"_  Quinn gasped, wobbling, until Kele grasped her arm and drew her to the wall beside him.

"Hang on to something!" He called, quickly climbing the wall and pulling Quinn up beside him. Taylor wobbled, as the stone beneath him groaned, somehow pulling apart to rapidly decrease their standing room by the second.

Michelle looked over at him, her face falling as his wide eyes flitted over the chamber worriedly. ".. _. I told you so_." She sighed, as the floor holted suddenly, causing him to fall forward.

 _"Aaah!"_  He gasped, his heart pounding in terror, as gravity pulled him towards the dark abyss. Just before the darkness could claim him, he felt a strong arm loop around his stomach and steadying him.

"Not  _this_  time, Boy Scout!" Hake snarled, scowling as he gripped him tightly, refusing to let him fall from his reach a second time.

 _"Jake!"_  Taylor cried, turning as the pilot slowly dragged him back towards the wall. His hand shot out, gripping at a rough handhold and pulling himself closer to the wall, as Jake shifted to cover him and protect him from the drop.

"Hold on!" The pilot ordered roughly, glaring as they scrambled further up the wall together, digging their hands into cracks to hold themselves up.

"Thanks, Top Gun!" Taylor huffed, glancing back at Jake to find the pilot gaze distant, his thoughts clearly returning to the last time he'd seen Taylor fall away from him. "Hey... don't. You saved me, okay? I'm right here..." He said, wishing he could turn and sweep the awful expression from his pilots face. Jake swallowed and nodded, his eyes clearing slightly as he glanced around with a sigh. Taylor bit his lip, glancing around to see everyone scramble up walls or onto the tree, everyone; except for Craig, who merely stood and glared, as the floor receded.

"Craig! Don't be stupid!" Michelle called, slashing an arm through the air awkwardly, as she stared at him in wide eyed concern. "Get to safety!"

Craig's eyes narrowed, and before anyone could stop him; he jumped down into the abyss. "Craig!" Taylor yelled desperately, straining his ears and just hearing a faint thud as he landed. "Shit, shit,  _shit..._  Jake, lemme down!" He begged, squirming beneath Jake briefly, until the pilot relented and began to move down the wall with him. Taylors heart raced, as the gap in the floor suddenly began to close back up again.

Michelle growled, breaking away from the group and scrambling over to the rapidly shrinking edge of the floor. "What are you  _doing?!"_  Sean demanded, as she dangled her legs over the side.

"I am  _not_  letting him get stuck down there alone!" The blonde said firmly, scowling as she let go of the ledge and disappeared.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Sean cried, leaping from a tree branch to the sliding floor, hooking his arms around the edge and swinging down. Taylor hurried to the edge, Jake having paused to help Raj down from the wall. He stared into the darkness, his heart racing nervously, as Diego gulped at him from the opposite side of the quickly shrinking gap.

"All for one and one for all, right?" He asked breathlessly, as Taylor raised his eyes to his friends. He swallowed heavily, glancing to his pilot as Jake's hand slid into his own.

"Here goes nothing!" He confirmed, as they launched themselves into the hole together, the stone snapping shut above them; leaving them all in darkness.

Taylor tumbled into the black nothing, landing in a pile with his friends at the bottom.  _"Ugh."_  Estela groaned, scowling up at those above her. "Whose elbows are in my back?"

"I can't feel my arm!" Jake yelped, until Taylor snickered and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Oh, there it is..." Jake sighed in relief, as Taylor rolled over his friends and flopped to his feet, pulling Jake along with him.

"This is  _not_  an ideal cuddle puddle." Raj complained, as the rest of them slowly began to untangle themselves. Taylor and Jake checked each other over, the pilot winking briefly, before looking around the dark cavern curiously. A small shaft of light illuminated Craig, as he beat his fists against the wall; Michelle and Sean stood a few steps away, looking on in certainly.

" _Come out, asshat_!" Craig yelled, scowling as he turned around the chamber briefly, hoping to find a trace of the ghost. " _I need to punch you out of existence!"_

"Dude, the ghost may not have corporeal form!" Raj cried unhelpfully, as Taylor rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Don't confuse him with big words, Raj..." He groaned quietly, though his concerns over Craig's temper growing proved unnecessary, as he merely scowled at his friend and continued to rage as he already had.

 _"I don't care_." The jock growled, as Sean's powerful hands finally seized Craig's upper arms, forcing them to lock eyes.

"I  _know_  it hurts, man. I know." The athlete said imploringly, struggling to keep his hold as Craig writhed in his grasp. "I feel it too. We  _all_  do. We  _all_  cared about Zahra." He assured, grimacing as Craig thrashed in his hold, desperately trying to avoid hearing his friends words. "But just take a second.  _Breathe._  Let yourself feel, whatever you're feeling." He pleaded, wrestling with his friends strong body.

Craig's bloodshot eyes slowly softened, the longer Sean looked at him, until finally; the athlete allowed him to weakly shrug free of his grasp, to collapse to the stone stairs nearby.

"Craig..." Taylor said, his heart breaking as the jock looked over at him emptily. "We'll avenge her." He assured, as Jake squeezed his hand in agreement. "I promise, whoever or whatever took Zahra from us...we  _will_  make them pay."

Craig swallowed heavily, glancing over st him gratefully, though his expression was still tainted by his hateful scowl. "Hell yeah we will, Taylor." He said quietly, rocking against his step lightly.

"You  _hypocrite."_  Estela growled, scowling at Taylor irritably. "That's  _exactly_  what I did with Lila, and you chewed me out for it!" She snarled, as Taylors own expression twisted with grief and fury.

"Oh, I'm sorry; because the only way to make people pay, is to kill them! Not to, I dunno, see them locked away for life or something!" He spat back venomously, relishing the girls brief flinch, before immediately feeling guilt flood through him.

"Both of you just stop and  **think**  for two seconds..." Estela growled slowly, shaking her head at in obvious disappointment.

"Of all people, I thought you'd understand, Estela." Craig sneered, looking over at her in disgust for her lack of support.

"I do." Estela said quietly, nodding in agreement. "But, whatever this ghost is, might have information about the island..." She explained, as Craig slumped to his knees and hung his head; broken by his loss.

"I'm just... so  _tired,_  of never being good enough. I wasn't good enough to get drafted-" he sighed forlornly, shaking his head at the memory. Taylor felt his heart yearn to give the jock comfort, remembering the devastating sense of loss he had felt upon receiving the rejection email, back when he'd viewed his idol memories.

"Wait,  _what?!"_  Sean exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief, before his face began to crumple in realisation; remembering his friends reluctance since their arrival on La Huerta, about anything related to the draft.

"I wasn't good at school, I wasn't..." Craig shook his head, ignoring Sean's interruption, as he stared vacantly ahead of him. "I couldn't get to Zahra fast enough. It's just..." The jock's expression twisted with grief and rage, his fists curling into balls in his lap. "Why couldn't it have been  _me?!"_  He cried, as Michelle covered her mouth with her hand, silently weeping for her friends pain. "She beat me at  _everything!_  She was smarter, cooler,  _always_  knew what to do..!" He growled, his hands rising to grip at his short hair in his distress. "Why is  _she_  gone?! And... A dumb, worthless loser like  _me_  still here?!" He demanded brokenly, tears spilling from his eyes, as the chamber fell silent; save for his sons, echoing from within the cavern.

For a long pause, there was nothing else; nobody knowing what they could possibly say to the jock to ease his sense of loss or pain. Taylor swallowed as he looked over at Jake, guilt swirling in his eyes, as the pilot shook his head slowly and sighed. Diego's sudden gasp cut through the silence, as he slowly raised a finger to a glowing rock wall. "Is that... what I think it is?" He asked quietly, as the eerie figure approached slowly.

 _"There!_  That's it!" Estela gasped, clutching her photo tightly, as Taylor felt his heart freeze. He stepped back involuntarily, before looking down at Craig and forcing himself to shelve his fears.

The jock's eyes followed the bright figure in disbelief, slowly narrowing to a glare.  _"You..."_  He snarled, his lip curling hatefully. " _You killed my friend_!" He cried, jumping up and swinging at the luminescent figure, as it floated down the stairs, only for his fist to pass straight through it. "I hate you! I hate you!" Craig screamed, his tears blinding him. "I... why... isn't it hurting me?" He asked, slowly lowering his fists, as the being refused to retaliate to his attack.

"... Because..." Michelle gasped, her eyes widening as she stared at the being in disbelief. "Because its Zahra?"

 _"What?!"_  Quinn yelped, as Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes at the blonde in gentle disagreement.

"This is  _not_  how I see ghost Zahra," he said with an empty snigger, gesturing at the surprised seeming ghost. "Zahra would be pissed, not... whatever that  _thing_  is." He said dubiously, shaking his head and raising a curious brow.

"No, I mean it..." Michelle pressed, glancing at him with a faint scowl. "Come on, think about it... Who else's spirit would do things to try to help us?"

"Of course..." Sean gasped, his eyes widening as Taylor shook his head, still not convinced. He said nothing however, as Craig's face twisted with anguish, despite trying his hardest to hide it.

"Zahra..?" He asked tentatively, tensing for a moment as he sucked in a deep breath and tried to recompose himself. "I'm... I'm  _so_  sorry." He breathed shakily, as the being tilted their head at him curiously. The jock's voice cracked, his hands almost seeming to clasp tightly in prayer. "I... didn't find you fast enough. I wasn't there... whe-when you needed me. I was so sure that you'd be okay, and then I, I..." He choked, his mouth contorting in grief as he looked up at the bright silhouette. "I  _failed_  you." He said brokenly, as Taylors heart constricted, and he broke away from Jake's side to approach his friend.

The ghostly figure leaned down, holding a small, silvery ring in its hand. Craig turned towards Taylor, gulping hard as he laid a supportive hand on the jocks shoulder. "Taylor... I don't know what to do." He whispered, shaking his head slightly as his grief consumed him. "Help me out here..?"

"If it helps him, the way it helped me, Taylor..." Estela urged quietly, nodding her head towards the object encouragingly. "He might  _need_  it."

"Craig, take it." Taylor encouraged gently. Squeezing the jocks shoulder as he tipped his head towards what appeared to be a small ring. "It's yours, isn't it?" He added, as Craig reached out and held the ring in his hand.

"It's... my class ring." The jock said quietly, running his finger over the flat red stone slowly. "My parents picked this one out awhile ago... They were gonna give it to me for graduation." He said, holding it out to show Taylor.

Taylor bit his lip, sensing what would come. When his hand touched the ring, a brief flash of white obscured the world, before he found himself looking at a football field, packed with fans.  _Ultra Bowl_  was emblazoned on the grass, and the scoreboard showed that Eagles led the Condors by four points, with just five seconds remaining on the clock.

"We can still pull this off." Sean called impassionedly, looking around urgently. "Craig, can you make a hole for me?!"

"All day, every day, bro!" Craig sniggered, beaming a huge grin as he clapped his hands together na dbounced on his feet excitedly.

"Alright, let's do this!" Sean cheered, gesturing to other members of his team abruptly. "Sixty four, ninety six, fireball...  _Hut hut!"_  He yelled, as the defensive linesman barreled towards Sean, but Craig shoves him hard to the side.

"Oh, no you don't!" He growled, scowling down at him, as Sean scrambled up the middle, flying oast the front line.

"Almost the-" he choked, breaking off suddenly as two defenders came from the side, and began to pull Sean down.

"I'm  _open!"_  Craig cried, his eyes wide as he saw Sean tackled aggressively. He spread his arms, showing his availability and readiness for the ball.

Sean lateraled the ball to Craig, just before he was taken down. "Get it!" He growled to his friend, attempting to shove the two large bodies off of him, craning his neck to watch his friend. Defenders tried to stop Craig, but he was like an unstoppable force, rolling through them all; straight to the end zone.

"I don't believe it! The Condors win! The Condors win the Ultra Bowl!" The announcer cried deliriously, as the field goal flew between the posts, while Craig and Sean pulled into a tight hug.

 _"That's_  what I'm talking about!" Sean cheered, clapping his friend on the back fondly, as fireworks exploded overhead. They separated as a trophy was brought out to them, lifting it aloft together; before Craig and Sean put down their controllers, and high fived one another with a laugh. "You're just as good a lineman in game, as you are in real life!" Sean said, bumping his shoulder to Craig's affectionately.

"Pfft, maybe real life me of five years ago!" Craig snorted, jerking a thumb over his shoulder and raising a pointed brow. "Not a lot of lineman training behind this desk!" He said, sharing a chuckle th his friend, as Craig closed the test rig. "For real, brah, thanks for coming in for our cover photoshoot... You've become  _Touchdown Twenty-Twenty Ones_  biggest selling point." He said, grinning over at his friend warmly.

"Anything for you, man!" Sean said, beaming back at his friend as he nudged him conspiratorially. "Just gotta make sure the game only has my good plays in it." He said, as Craig laughed, shaking his denim jacket straight over his arms.

"We literally had to nerf your stats in game, because real life you is O.P, dude." He snorted, bumping his fist to Sean's shoulder. "I think you're fine."

Sean glanced around Digital Entertainment's game studio with a small smile, as Craig fell silent, staring at a photo of them in their college football uniforms which sat on his desk. "Hey, Sean?" He asked suddenly, a small frown marring his brow.

"Yeah?" The sports star replied, turning to look at his friend warmly, his smile faltering at the uncertain expression on his friends face.

"How do you know..?" Craig asked slowly, glancing up at Sean briefly, before averting his eyes across the room. "When you're good enough at what you do?"

Sean's eyes widened in surprise, and he stared at Craig in stunned silence for a moment, before frowning over at him. "Where's this coming from?"

"Well, you're  _literally_  one of the best athlete's in the world," Craig mumbled shyly, shrugging his shoulder dismissively. "Raj basically  _owns_  the NomNom Network..." He said, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair and finally turned to meet his friends concerned gaze. "Sometimes, I just... don't know if I can keep up, you know?" He finally admitted awkwardly.

"Aw, dude-" Sean snickered softly, shaking his head at his best friends obvious self doubt.

"I know, it's dumb." Craig said quickly, rubbing at the back of his neck, as his cheeks stained with colour.

Sean gestured at the controller they'd just discarded, smiling over at his friend with a raised brow. "You're working on one of the biggest game franchises, in the world. You found a life which makes you happy..." Sean said, bumping his fist to Craig's shoulder lightly. "Honestly man, I'm really proud of you."

 _"Really?"_  Craig choked, his eyes widening in surprise, as he gazed up at his super star best friend.

"Since getting this job, I gotta say... I feel like you've come into your own." Sean said, huffing a small sigh as he smiled at his friend warmly. "You stopped trying to pull people down, and found something you loved. I think that's awesome."

Craig flushed proudly, before buffing his shoulder against Sean's, ducking his head before grinning up at him widely. "I haven't even told you about CheeseFry-day."

"You get cheese fries on Fridays?" Sean guessed, raising his brows and grinning broadly at his friend.

"It's the  _best!"_  Craig snorted smugly, bumping his fist to Sean's, as the photographer poked his head around the corner.

"Alright, Mr Gayle! We're ready for your shoot. Follow me please." They said, quickly disappearing without waiting for Sean to actually follow.

"I... think that's my cue." Sean said uncertainly, hooking his thumb over his shoulder as he slowly took a step backwards.

"Yeah, and I got a meeting coming up." Craig sighed, running a hand through his hair, before pointing at Sean suddenly. "But hey..." He said, moving forward to clap a hand on Sean's shoulder again. "Thanks, man. I mean it. I don't know how I would gotten here, without you."

"This is  _all_  you, Craig." Sean said, shaking his head fondly, as the vision melted away.

Taylor blinked, finding himself back in the cavern with Craig. He felt the rushing sensation of warmth and hope, bubbling up his throat, as he turned to see everyone staring at the two of them; the ghostly apparition still before them.

"Did you just see-" Craig began, choking off in disbelief as he glanced up at Taylor with wide eyes.

"Yeah." He said, swallowing thickly as Craig nodded and turned to look back at his ring. "I did." He added, squeezing his shoulder briefly before stepping back to give him a moment, as the jock turned towards the spirit; which seemed to shine brighter.

"I think... I know what she's trying to tell me." Craig said quietly, his voice thick with the heavy strain of his emotions. Despite the watery gleam to his eyes, the jock smiled up at the spirit. "Zahra... If it's you, I just wanna say something, before you go..."

The spirit seemed to glow vibrantly, its incandescent light sqirling as if shocked by being addressed so intimately. "I think, I'm in love with you... And I don't know how to stop." Craig said, sniffing as he scrubbed his sleeve over his eyes. "I don't think I  _can._  I just started to think, that I could be your player two..." He choked, his face contorting in anguish beneath his sleeve, as he cracked again. "I  _wish..._  I could've stopped this from happening." He sobbed brokenly, before forcing himself to take a deep breath.

"But, I know why you showed me the future." He said, lowering his arm and raising his eyes to the spirit longingly. "You want me to keep going. So... I'll do my best." He promised, reaching for the spirit which continued to extend its hand towards him, as it slowly faded into the wall. "...Goodbye." He choked, stifling his tears into his battered hands. Sean and Michelle rushed forward to wrap their arms around him, holding him tightly between them.

"We're right here, Craig." Sean assured firmly, his expression crumpling with sympathy for his friends pain. "Right here."

"Craig..." Michelle choked, griping the jock tightly, as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I'm such a  _wuss."_  Craig snorted, shaking his head as he swallowed heavily. "Why couldn't I..." He muttered, trailing off weakly.

Taylor lifted his gaze, his heart lurching suddenly, his friends in the chamber all freezing as they heard two soft footsteps, followed by an unmistakable voice. "... Tell me what?" Zahra asked, her eyes wide as she stared over at Craig in disbelief. Taylor choked, his hand rising to his mouth as a small disbelieving grin curled his lips, as everyone turned to her in shock.

"You're  _alive!"_  Quinn gasped, staring over at her with wide eyes as she took an uncertain step forwards.

"Then what just..." Estela choked, looking over to where the spirit had faded through the wall.

Taylor snorted, as pieces of the puzzle fell together in his mind, and he shook his head as he realised that the ghost and the ghost were two different beings. He watched with joy bubbling in his heart, as Craig wiped his eyes, and stared at her in disbelief.

"Z? Is that you?" He called tentatively, slowly breaking free of Sean and Michelle's embrace, as he pushed to his feet.

"Craig, did you, uh..." Zahra asked, gazing at him in awe, as she scratched her neck awkwardly. "Did you mean all that stuff? About... me dying?" She pressed, and even in the dark cavern, Taylor could see the glimmer of tears in her eyes.

Craig bolted forward and pulled her into a tight hug, twirling her around in a circle quickly. "It's  _you!"_  He cried ecstatically, beaming a huge grin down at her. "You're not dead! You're  _really_  not dead!"

 _"Oof!"_  Zahra huffed, swatting at his chest ineffectively, as Taylor grinned and sniggered at their display. "To not be dead, I need to breathe!" She said, as he set her down, but didn't pull away.

"Sorry about that." Craig said, before immediately scoffing and shaking his head. "Actually,  _not_  sorry.  _You're alive_!" He cheered gleefully, staring down at her in joyful awe.

"If I do die, you are not allowed to speak at my funeral. That was cheesy as hell." Zahra scoffed, about to say something further, when Craig surged forward and pressed his lips to hers as he held her close.

 _"Awww..!"_  Quinn giggled, as she wiped her eyes, leaning into Kele's side as he unconsciously wrapped his arm around her.

Taylor sniggered, grinning as he cleared his throat. "Should we turn around, or..." He asked, laughing as Zahra flipped her middle finger towards the crowd, while passionately returning Craig's desperate kiss.

They reluctantly broke apart, and Zahra looked Craig over quickly. "I guess it's cool that you're not dead, or whatever either..." She said, grinning as everyone walled over to join them, while Taylor sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"So, Zahra..." He said, finally voicing his thoughts on the ghosts. "You  _were_  the ghost, this whole time." He said, nodding as he thought about the vast differences between the two spirits.

 _"Yuuup!"_  She said smugly, beaming over at him, as he grinned and shook his head.

"Then, the spooky noises... The floor opening up..." He said knowingly, laughing as the group surrounded Zahra and Craig in a tight hug, much to Zahra's disgust.

"Speakers," she said distractedly, scowling at the arms embracing her from all sides, though her cheeks tinged an affectionate pink. "Playing sounds based on a randomized time interval."

"The blood?" Jake asked, his eyes wide as he stepped back, glancing over at Taylor, as he unconsciously wiped his palm over his trousers.

"I've had to eat a few squirrels the last couple months," Zahra explained, shrugging her shooders as the group stepped back from her. "Figured the blood was a nice touch."

"A couple  _months?!"_  Raj cried, his hands rising to grip his hair in his shock.

"Yeah," Zahra said, waving her hand dismissively. "Let's just skip past that part." She snorted, as Taylor sighed and frowned, rubbing his chest lightly as the sense of dread he'd felt earlier began to return.

"But... the  _floor!"_  Michelle gasped, as Zahra sniggered, winking at the blonde proudly.

"You mean my masterpiece." She crowed smugly, digging out a flashlight and pointing it to the ceiling. Taylor looked up to see a large series of wires and supports, resting under each stone square.

"Well, you certainly seemed to fool those Arachnid troops." Taylor huffed, shaking his head as he looked back at the ground, wincing as the cold tendril of fear in his gut began to grow.

"Did they piss their pants this time?" Zahra snorted eagerly, sighing wistfully as she smirked at him. "I hope I got it on video."

"I get pretending to be a ghost..." Quinn said, pouting suddenly, as she gazed at Zahra reproachfully. "But, why fake your own death?" She asked imploringly, as Zahra shrugged.

"Rourke can't kill me if he thinks I'm dead." She said dismissively, her face falling as she looked at Craig, who swallowed heavily at the reminder.

"You almost convinced  _us."_  Sean said quietly, his hand clapping onto Craig's shoulder supportively.

"Yeah, well." She sniffed, squeezing Craig's wrist gently in apology. "You're here. I'm here. It all worked out."

"That still doesn't explain the glowy thing, that's trying to give us stuff." Raj said, frowning thoughtfully as he glanced at the wall where the spirit had disappeared.

"Glowy thing?" Zahra asked, shaking her head at him in confusion. "I didn't have a glowy thing..."

"Okay, then..." Jake said slowly, his eyes widening as he jerked his thumb towards where they'd last seen the spirit, while Taylor pressed himself back against the wall, shivering as the fear in his gut churned. "Who the hell is beetlejuice, and why is he coming after us?" He asked, taking a step towards Taylor in concern, before pausing; as new steps rang through the chamber.

Taylor tensed, the slow clunk of heavy boots seeming to freeze his heart in his chest, as he slowly turned his head towards the stairs. The group shrunk together protectively, as Taylor shook his head slowly, the dread in his heart suddenly materializing in solid form before his eyes.

"I'm afraid, there's something else you need to worry about." The Endless said slowly, his voice muffled through his helmet, as Taylors eyes filled with tears, his heart clenching painfully as he realised; his time had finally run out.


	5. The More Things Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay.......
> 
> I had major issue with this. I wrote 8k; spent an entire day sinmering and hating it; nearly scrapped it, and then finally made myself read through critically to accept that it wasnt so all out awful as i was convinced... somehow, i then finished the chapter...
> 
> So, this is kinda unexpecred becausw i was fully anticipating editing the life outta thus - and i sorta did, but the page failed just as i was about to save ans i... well had to start all over. So; this is sort of cloaer to the original with a few edits still in.
> 
> I hope to all heaven that tgus chapter isnt a flop! I would hatw that, so... im definitely nervous for your thiughts...
> 
> Anyway, shutting up now!  
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I don't remember ever having been so afraid before, and for once it wasn't **for**  you all... It was  **because**  of you all. I hated myself for that. I never said it, but I never forgave myself for it. I love you all so much, feeling that way... It was awful. Almost as bad as realizing-_

_Nevermind. I... I'm just so sorry._

_But hey, silver linings; right? At least, I managed to help Yvonne out a little. At least I could do that much_.

**5.**

**The More Things Change**.

Taylor glared over at The Endless, the fear in his gut churning, swirling and finally morphing to a despondent hatred of the man in the red spacesuit; the man who was him, many long lifetimes ago. He barely noticed his friends, staring in surprise as The Endless slowly descended a set of stairs towards them.

"How did they get past my security system?!" Zahra demanded, her eyes wide in shock as she stared at the newcomer. "No one comes in here without me knowing about it!" She growled, scowling at The Endless in confusion.

Taylor glanced around the cavern briefly, a sudden awareness striking him; as he noticed several small, glowing time rifts, much like the ones they'd seen during the eruption. He turned back to The Endless with a derisive snort, eyeing the red spacesuit with distrust and disgust, his emotions simmering into an indecipherable surge. "You're alive then." He snorted, his eyes flicking over the figure dismissively. "And here I  _thought_  I saw the lava cover you... Been altering memories again?" He asked spitefully, his scowl only deepening, as The Endless merely chuckled at him.

"This suit makes lava a momentary inconvenience, at worst." The Endless said dismissively, as Taylor sneered over at him, able to hear the smugness in his warbled voice. He watched as The Endless turned his helmeted head, and he felt only slightly bad for his foul attitude, wondering how strange it must be to suddenly be around people who were once his friends.

"Taylor, you  _know_  this person?" Michelle asked, looking between them uncertainly. Taylor looked over at his friends, his gaze softening as he was flooded by guilt, shame and fear.

"I guess you could say that... We met after I fell out of the helicopter." He said slowly, his eyes darting to Jake involuntarily, as the pilots narrowed at the man in the red spacesuit; clearly sensing Taylors hostility, and correctly deducing that whatever he had been hiding was related to the newcomer. "Guys... this, is The Endless." He sighed, his eyes moving to Varyyn as the Vaanti gasped, and moved to kneel.  _"Don't!"_  He barked sharply, the Elyyshar pausing and looking over in surprise of his harsh tone. "Varyyn, don't.  _Please."_  He said quietly, his eyes flaring with guilt and heartache, as the Vaanti nodded uncertainly.

"Uqzhaal said that The Endless prophesized the end of the world, and  _us_  stopping it..." Diego recalled, his eyes wide as he stared at The Endless in disbelief.

"Yeah, conveniently left out a few important details though." Taylor scoffed, scowling at the red space-suited man hatefully. "Like how he's nothing but a lying, manipulative bastard." He said scathingly, the venom in his tone causing several of his friends to flinch.

"You are curiously hostile, I do not recall ever bei-" The Endless began, turning his helmeted head back to face him, tilting in curiosity.

"You don't recall a lot of things!" Taylor yelled, his eyes stinging with tears of frustration, as he trembled and absently rubbed at his aching chest. "Like how to be a decent human being! Like how to be honest, and... and... oh god..." He choked, his emotions fluctuating wildly as a sudden realization dawned on him.  _All that time I spent convincing myself I'm not him... And even now I'm still not being honest myself. I'm hiding things from everyone I ever cared about_... He thought in stunned silence, closing his eyes and slumping against the wall in defeat, his heart sinking in his aching chest.

"Taylor, are you okay..?" Quinn called, moving towards him until he opened his eyes and looked over with such a pained and resigned gaze, that she stopped in her tracks from the shock. "Taylor..?"

Taylor swallowed thickly, before looking away from his friends, nodding vaguely as he tried to collect himself. He sucked in a deep, stabilizing breath as he shifted his weight against the wall and quickly scrubbed at his watery eyes, before turning back to The Endless resentfully. "I  _hate_  you." He said quietly, his eyes narrowing in his sincerity. "Show them." He barked, his eyes flicking to Jake briefly, his heart lurching as the pilots concerned gaze met his own, before his vision was blurred by fresh tears. He scrubbed them away furiously and looked back at The Endless, scowling as his emotions crashed through him like the ocean against the rocks. "Take off your damn helmet!" He demanded, his friends looking over at him in concern, at the desperation in his voice.

The Endless stared at him for a long pause, his helmet hiding his expression, though Taylor didnt care; he glared back at the older version of himself determinedly, despite the fissures of pain which splintered across his heart. "... Very well." The Endless finally replied, slowly unhooking the clasps at the neck of the red spacesuit, pulling the helmet off to reveal an eerily familiar, though much older face.

Taylor wrapped his arms around himself tightly, shivering from the nausea which swept through him violently. "As you can see, The Endless is..." He choked, fighting against tears as he watched his friends draw back from The Endless in shock.  _"Me."_  He whispered brokenly, his eyes lowering to the floor in shame, as he made himself as small as he was physically able to.

 _"W-what?!"_  Varyyn gasped, staring at the older version of Taylor with broken disbelief. Taylor forced himself to glance up at his friend, and was unsurprised to see similar emotions in the Elyyshar's eyes, as he'd seen in Uqzhaal's. He shivered harder, the nausea feeling in his stomach growing at the look of betrayal festering in the Vaanti's gaze.

"Nope." Jake said forcefully, shaking his head, his eyes wide as he turned his back on The Endless.  _"Nope!_  This is too weird." He choked, his shoulders locked tensely as he scrubbed at his stubbled jaw in disbelief. Taylor bit his lip, his wound reopening as he stifled his sobs of heartbreak as best he could, the pilots rejection stinging worse than anything he'd imagined.

"How can this geezer be  _you?"_  Craig demanded, looking between Taylor and The Endless in obvious confusion. Taylor turned his head, unable to bear his friends shocked faces any longer, or the sight of Jake's back turned to him. "You're way younger! And standing right in front of us!" The jock cried, as The Endless chuckled fondly.

"I've been in La Huerta's time loop for many, many years, Craig." He said, grinning widely at the jock.

" _He knows my name_!" Craig stage whispered dramatically, as he grabbed Zahra and took several steps back, clearly more unnerved by this revelation than that of alternate selves.

Taylor stared at the floor in dejection, allowing his pain to course through him without bothering to try and control it, as he recalled his past lives vaguely. "We've landed on this island several times." He croaked, his throat constructing painfully under the weight of his confessions, his tears falling to the ground freely. "The first time, everyone died... but me." He said, swallowing heavily, his hands curling into clawed fists, digging into his own arms tightly. "That version of me, learned how to reset the time loop, in order to save everyone." He said, hiccupping as a sob escaped him. "It didn't work..." He whispered brokenly, squeezing his eyes shut tight against the memories that surfaced, the multitude of ways his friends had died. "So he tried again. And again. And again."

"What?" Raj asked, frowning over at The Endless in confusion and disbelief combined. "Old-Taylor, how many times have you done this?"

"Two thousand, one hundred and thirty nine times." The Endless said, as Taylor flinched and grit his teeth together, his hands rising to his hair as he scratched his scalp and all but tried to squeeze the images from his mind. "But, thanks to Taylor, it's  _all_  been worth it."

"We've...  _died_  over two thousand times?" Quinn choked, her hand raising to her heart, as she shook her head in disbelief.

"It turns out, altering the course of time and history takes a lot more effort than  _some people_  think." Taylor said bitterly, throwing a scowl over at The Endless, as the old man glanced over at him with a small, disapproving frown.

"I don't understand." Varyyn said slowly, shaking his head in disbelief. "The Endless One is a prophet to our people! Without The Endless-" he said, breaking off as Taylor choked on a bitter chuckle.

"Without The Endless, the Vaanti religion wouldn't have Catalysts, Raan'losti... any of it." He said, shaking his head as he at his friend sadly.  _Without his... manipulation, the Vaanti killed everyone without hesitation_. He added silently, as Varyyn visibly jerked in surprise, while Diego looked between the two in confusion and suspicion.

"That can't be!" Varyyn denied firmly, shaking his head vehemently, until Taylor opened his mind and allowed the Vaanti to see for himself; their broken bodies, at the laughing Vaanti's feet. "Endless One, tell me this isn't true." The Elyyshar whispered pleadingly, his eyes wide as Taylor looked away, dragging the back of his hands across his now swollen eyes.

"I tried so many times, in so many ways, to convince your people to keep my friends alive." The Endless said, his expression falling as he showed the first signs of guilt for his actions. "In the end... this was the only way."

"But my people fought  _wars_  because of you!" Varyyn roared, causing Taylor to flinch guiltily, as the Elyyshar glared at The Endless in disgust and outrage. "They  _died_  because of you!"

"As a king, you must understand the hard decisions that are made, to protect those you love." The Endless said slowly, the flame on his mechanical hand fluttering faintly, as if in agreement of his words.

Varyyn fell silent, a thoughtful frown clouding his hateful glare, as he glanced down at Diego. "I'm  _so_  sorry, Varyyn..." Taylor said quietly, barely able to bring himself to look at his friends any longer, too consumed by shame and grief.

"I've seen some sight's on this island, but this..." Kele said, whistling as he glanced between Taylor and his older self in disbelief.

"Taylor, you  _knew_  this?" Estela asked, as Taylor flinched guiltily, wishing he could deny it. "The whole time?!" She demanded, as he pointedly avoided meeting her gaze. "Why didn't you  _tell_  us anything? We're supposed to be your  _friends!"_  She said, and Taylor bit back a sob at the pain in her voice.

He took a deep breath, his eyes darting around the cavern as he tried to avoid looking at the betrayed expressions on his friends faces. "... It was too painful." He finally cracked, exhaling heavily as he scoffed and looked at the rigged ceiling thoughtfully. "You remember those idols? The ones you were drawn too, that you all thought were so beautiful..?" He asked, shivering as a coldness settled deep within his heart. "The Endless made those, with a very specific purpose in mind." He said bitterly, the taste of bile settling at the back of his tongue.

"When _I_  touched those idols _... I_  saw all of you die. Over, and over, and over again." He finally admitted, closing his eyes as several of his friends gasped in shock. "When I found out they were actual things that had happened, over two thousand times..." He said, his voice breaking briefly, as he tried to control his wavering emotions. "... and all of that, could be for  _nothing,_  if we don't stay one step ahead of Rourke..." He choked, tightening his arms around himself as he shook his head brokenly. "Every time I had the chance to explain, I just... I  _couldn't."_  He gasped, scrubbing at his eyes as fresh tears fell with abandon.

"Oh, Taylor..." Quinn sighed, walking over slowly to gently wrap her arm around his side. "I understand." She whispered, as he finally looked at her, his pain filled eyes meeting her compassionate and sympathetic ones. "Sometimes, it's easier to bury the pain then talk about it." She said quietly, rubbing his arm gently as he choked and grabbed at her hand gratefully.

"I'm  _so_  sorry, I didn't tell you all sooner..." Taylor said quietly, swallowing hard, as he tried to grapple with his emotions and shove them aside so he could focus on whatever task lay ahead of them. "It's just... Realizing you're actually nothing but a lying, manipulating, heartless bastard, well its kinda hard for you to wanna confess that to the people you love most..." He said, cracking again as his heart clenched painfully. Quinn looked up at him in concern, before drawing him down in a tight hug and turning him away from The Endless.

"I know this is a lot for you to take in, but time is not on our side." The Endless said, ignoring Taylors state as he glanced around the group. "We've much to discuss."

"You smug fuckin' bastard,  _look at him!_ " Jake growled, as Taylors heart lurched, the pilots voice sounding furious and full of hate. He pulled free of Quinn and turned to look up with wide eyes, as Jake approached him, sighing as he looked down at Taylor guiltily. His fingers grazed over his cheek softly, brushing away his tears as his expression twisted with grief. "I shoulda been over to do that a long time ago..." He murmured quietly, as Taylor blinked in surprise, his heart racing almost painfully as a small flame of hope began to flicker within. "This guy just pissed me off so bad, I was too focused on him; and not enough on you. I'm sorry, Boy Scout." He said, as Taylor hiccupped, and his wide eyes welled with tears of disbelief.

 _"Mm!"_  He choked, his eyes scrunching with the effort to contain his overwhelming emptions. His hands balled into fists, rising to the pilots shoulders uncertainly to grip at his jacket. As Jake's arms rose around him, the little control over his emotions which he'd fought to maintain broke completely, and he collided with the pilot hard.

Jake held him fiercely, his fingers digging into Taylors shoulder and the back of his neck as he lowered his lips to Taylors ear and whispered soothing words and quiet apologies. "I got you... I got you now, Taylor."

Taylor hiccupped and sobbed hysterically, clutching at the back of Jake's jacket desperately, awash with relief and disbelief alike. "I... I thought..." He choked, his voice muffled by the pilots jacket, as he smothered himself with the comforting scent of whiskey within the fabric.

"Yeah, I know what you thought..." Jake sighed, his arms tightening around Taylor, comforting and reassuring him of his continued affections. "So, this is it, right? The other thing..? This is it?" He asked, the pilots tone almost eager.

Taylor huffed a reluctant chuckle, shaking his head lightly as he fiddled with Jake's jacket collar. "This is it." He confirmed quietly, his dark eyes filled with uncertainty, as he glanced up at Jake. "Just the, time travelling, older me, thing..." He said slowly, as Jake hummed thoughtfully.

"... You're an idiot." The pilot sighed, after a long pause."You could have told me... Hell, I think I actually would've preferred this to..." He huffed, shaking his head as he looked down at Taylor with an exasperated smile. "How many times did I tell you already?" He murmured, nuzzling Taylors brow gently. "I love you." He said, drawing back to knock his forehead to Taylors, closing his eyes as Taylor finally began to calm down.

"I... love you too..." Taylor murmured back haltingly, his eyes raking over Jake in wonder and disbelief, before his expression twisted with shame and he averted his gaze. "I'm so sorry... I should have told you sooner. I just... I couldn't stand the thought of you looking at me differently."

"What? Why the hell would I do that, exactly?" Jake asked, his eyes opening as he frowned down at Taylor in confusion. He swept his thumb over Taylors cheek, brushing his tears away, even as more took their place.

"How can you  _not,_  Jake?" Taylor asked brokenly, resting his cheek to the pilots shoulder, as he stared at the far wall dejectedly. "I mean, bad enough that I hid about Aleister from you, but this? That somewhere inside I'm... a lying, manip-"

"Taylor, shut up." Jake demanded firmly, shaking his head as he drew back enough to force Taylor to meet his eyes. "I dunno what that guy said to you; but you are  _not_  him." He assured, cupping Taylors cheek as he tried to make his words sink in. "He might  _look_  like you; plus about sixty years... But Taylor, he isn't  _you._  You are  _nothing_  like him; you're kind, loyal, brave and... stubborn as all hell; when it come's to making stupid decisions and carrying shit like this on your own. But one thing you will never, ever be; is that smug bastard over there." Taylor grimaced, trying to turn away, only for Jake to grip his chin firmly, forcing him to continue meeting his determined gaze.

"Taylor, you answer me this; all that shit about manipulating the Vaanti, would you have ever, even considered doin' that? Would you have manipulated  _us?"_  The pilot pressed, his clear eyes blazing with conviction.

"... I-" Taylor hedged, dropping his eyes as he drew in a deep breath. "Jake, this whole situations proven me to be a liar already. I kept this from all of you..." He said evasively, shaking his head as he looked around his friends, as he swallowed heavily. "And just because it was painful, doesn't mean I had the right to do that. Yvonne tried to make me tell you all, back after we saw Aleister... And I didn't. I  _chose_  not to. Because I was too scared of losing you all, to be honest with you." He said brokenly, his heart clenching painfully in his guilt.

"Taylor..." Diego sighed, squeezing Varyyn's shoulder briefly, before slowly making his way over to join his friend. "I don't know about these guys, but personally... I honestly don't know whether I should be offended, by the fact you actually think you would lose me... Or honoured, that you care so much." He said, bumping his fist to Taylors shoulder with a little more force than was strictly necessary for the affectionate gesture.

"Well,  _I_  certainly know." Michelle snarked, as she stalked over and slapped his arm, causing him to wince. "After all the times I saved your damn life, this is a fine way to repay me." She said, scowling at him, even as she leaned against his shoulder.

"None of us have exactly been open about our pasts, Taylor..." Sean said, as he and Craig walked over with Zahra, who smirked and elbowed him in the ribs. "I can appreciate how hard this was to tell us... But you did it anyway. I, can't honestly say I woulda done that."

Taylor looked around his friends in wide eyed surprise, as they swarmed him with warmth and comfort. His expression morphed to a frown, as Estela approached with the others, scowling herself; although she still embraced him with the others. "This doesn't mean I forgive you for hiding this... But, I understand." She mumbled, her cheeks tinged with red, as Taylors heart clenched and he hiccupped with disbelief.

"Aw, hell, now ya went and set him off again." Jake sighed, the pilots arm curling around his waist comfortingly, as his friends converged around them.

"Taylor, you've been here for all of  _us..._  Now, let us reassure you, that we'll always be here for  _you."_  Quinn said, giggling quietly as Taylor felt the flicker of hope in his chest begin to flare brighter.

"You guys..." He murmured, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, the first hint of a smile curving his lips. "... I-"

"Hey, what else are friends for, but to reassure you when your older, creepier, alternate self shows up?" Diego said cheerily, grinning widely as Taylor huffed quietly.

"... Assbutt." He said, clearing his throat, as he felt his heart swell in gratitude for his friends. He drew in a deep breath, as he shook his head, astounded by the level of love and support he felt radiating from his friends around him. "Guys, as much as I would love to just... bask in this whole, group hug thing... The Endless is right... time isn't on our side." He finally sighed, glancing over at the old man reluctantly, to find him watching them curiously. "Despite whatever I think of feel about him, we... It's still because of The Endless that we've survived this long." He acknowledged, taking a final moment to savour the warmth of his friends support, before gesturing towards the old man with his chin. "We ought to hear what he has to say."

The Endless stared around them all for another moment, seeming to drink in every detail of them, before shaking himself free of his stupor and sighing briefly. "Rourke is mere days away from perfecting his method of extracting energy from The Island's Heart." He began, his gaze turning pained as he gazed over at their tightly huddled group. "Soon, the time loop will collapse, and this island... all of you... may cease to be, depending on his whim." He said sadly, before determination stole into his eyes, and his expression hardened. "I've come to tell you all of a way you can reclaim the first half of the Heart."

"So we're just supposed to put on the military gear again, and march back into his hideout?" Craig demanded, scowling in confusion.

"That barely worked the first time." Zahra said with a smirk, and Taylor snorted, guessing she was recalling her destruction of The  **MASADA**  Complex. "He's probably expecting us anyway." She added, as Taylor raised his eyes to Jake's, the pilot snorting softly at his unsubtle request to remain silent about Aleister's plan.

"We don't even know where Rourke  _is_  right now." Quinn said, frowning over at The Endless uncertainly, as Taylor began to fidget guiltily. Jake nudged him with his shoulder, raising a brow pointedly when he slowly looked up at the pilot.

"Actually..." He began, after taking a deep breath, reluctantly glancing around his friends as they turned towards him. "We uh, we kinda...  _do..."_  He hedged, wincing when Diego scowled at him suspiciously.

 _"What?!"_  Sean cried, his jaw dropping similarly to the rest of Taylors friends. Jake snorted, nudging Taylor again when he sensed him shrinking away from the confrontation.

"Uh, so... Hypothetically speaking, how would everyone feel, to find out we had a spy in Rourke's hideout?" Taylor hedged, biting his lip guiltily as some of his friends sighed and groaned in realisation, while some continued to stare at him in confusion.

"Dude, where'd you get a-" Craig began, only for Zahra to flick his wrist and silence him, scowling at Taylor knowingly.

"Turns out, Double-oh-Dork, has been playin' both sides. For believability purposes." Jake explained, frowning at Taylor briefly, as he pointedly avoided the pilots gaze, before sighing and looking around the others. "During the raid, Taylor spoke to him and got their new location-"

 _"But,_  I don't know if it will still be useable..." Taylor interjected suddenly, glancing up at Jake in realisation. "The paper was in my pirate gear, it could well be illegible, after our latest swim." He said, as Diego tugged at his shoulder quickly.

"Tell me this was not your plan." He said, scowling at Taylor, as he flushed guiltily and quickly shook his head.

"Plan?  _Me?_  No, no; my plan making days are  _over,_  this was  _all_  Aleister." He said quickly, clearing his throat loudly as he deliberately shuffled away from his friend.

"So, you're telling me that Aleister, is actually-" Estela balked, her eyes wide as she stared at Taylor in disbelief.

"Yup. He reinstalled Zahra's virus at  **MASADA**  and cleared the path to the helipad. He gave us the location of their new hideout. And..." Taylor explained, pausing as he glanced up at Jake, who grit his jaw tightly. "Well, he dug up some important intel about someone who needs our help." He said quietly, as Jake looked down at him with a small smile and squeezed his waist.

"But, you said the hideout information might not be useable anymore..." Sean reminded, drawing a sigh from Taylor as he shrugged his shoulders. Before he could say anything further however, The Endless beat him to it.

"I can help there. Rourke's moved his base to a sealed compound, beneath the Observatory. From there, he can oversee all of his facilities at once." The Endless explained, glancing at Taylor briefly, before turning back to the others. "This time, you'll need a very particular set of skills to bypass his defenses... Do you recall the Vaanti warriors, that you sent through a portal at The Celestial?" He asked, glancing up at Jake, before quickly looking away.

"If by recall, you mean having nightmares about it on the regs, then yeah." Raj said, his face falling as he shivered at the unwelcome memory.

"Some of them were killed by Rourke's assassin." The Endless explained, the flame on his mechanical hand flickering gently. "But others, were transported to an extremely distant future, where their descendants learned to survive by foraging through fractures in time." He continued, as Taylor frowned, exchanging a meaningful look with Varyyn, as the Vaanti also paid rapt attention to the explanation. "The recent eruption, has shifted the chronoscape of La Huerta again, bringing them back to our present. Go to them." He urged, looking around them all imploringly. "They can help you reach the Heart undetected."

Taylor bit his lip, lowering his gaze to the floor as his thoughts raced through his head.  _The Anachronist's, like Varyyn described... Time travellers. Maybe, they can help me control whatever this, thing in me is_... He thought, his eyes narrowing as he considered the help he could be if he were able to manipulate time to their advantage.

"If this is so urgent, why aren't  _you_  doing it yourself?" Estela demanded, and Taylor glanced up to find the dark haired girl scowling at The Endless suspiciously.

"Due to the instability of the crux within Mount Atropo, I'm afraid that my hands are tied." The Endless replied regretfully, as ge looked down at his mechanical limb. "Well...  _Hand."_  He said, turning back towards the stairs as Taylors expression darkened to a hateful glare.

"Wait... I have one more question." He said slowly, drawing strength from his friends around him, as he shook his head slowly. "How can we trust you?" He demanded, swallowing heavily as The Endless turned towards him in genuine surprise.

"Good point." Jake said firmly, his eyes narrowing speculatively. "Few too many mirrors and smokescreens going on here." He said, his gaze hardening as The Endless balked.

"I..." He faltered, his gaze passing across their group, before finally settling on Quinn; turning calculating as he took a deep breath. "... Quinn likes dolphins, because her first family outing once she was better, was to Marine World."

"How did you-" Quinn gasped, as Taylor turned towards her, frowning thoughtfully.

"I didn't know that..." He said quietly, pouting as she rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder playfully. She giggled, as he swatted her back lightly, before leaning into his side.

"Zahra and Craig, regularly prank the group to raise everyone's spirits." The Endless continued, ignoring Taylor and Quinn's interruption. "Sometimes, Raj helps." He added, as Zahra scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I mean, I personally wasn't doing it to raise everyone's-" she began to grouse as Craig grinned and raised a brow at her, while Raj shuffled guiltily.

"Sean won't eat, until everyone else has food, or until Michelle nags him to stop letting his food get cold." The Endless continued, a faintly smug gleam to his eye as he peered at Taylor intently. As the old man went on, describing them all in intimate detail, a stunned silence fell over the group.

"I think, that about settles it..." Sean said finally, shaking his head as he stared at the old man in shock.

"Yes,  _absolutely."_  Taylor said, rolling his eyes. "This is definitely someone who just spent over two thousand lives watching us and learning everything about us. Doesn't exactly prove any points about the whole 'trust' issue though..." He snarked, as Jake squeezed his waist, his eyes narrowing as he scowled over at The Endless distrustfully.

The Endless gazed across the group thoughtfully. "Taylor, I must say..." The old man said, shaking his head slightly at their tight, almost protective cluster around Taylor. "I'm proud of how well you've looked after your friendships." He continued, his eyes narrowing suddenly as his gaze turned distant, seeming to peer straight through him rather than at him. "These people care about you, more than anyone in the world. Treasure every moment you have with them."

Taylors heart crashed painfully behind his ribs, his hands becoming clammy, even as a chill seemed to travel down his spine. He swallowed heavily, and narrowed his eyes at the old man, refusing to allow his ominous words to take root and fester within him.  _"Always."_  He bit out forcefully, before yelping as Jake abruptly drew him deeper into his side.

"Save the corny speal, Red Rocket." He snorted, his eyes flicking over the old man suspiciously. "Taylor doesn't need any advice from you. He's doin' just fine." He said, as Taylor blinked and looked up at him in surprise. "... when he ain't bein' an idiot." The pilot added, drawing a faint snort of amusement from Taylor.

"Couldn't just leave it sweet, huh?" He huffed, as Jake winked down at him briefly. Taylor was about to comment further, when a sharp click sounded from above them. He looked up with a gasp, as the stone ceiling began to reopen.

"Look out!" Estela warned, staring with wide eyes, as a shadowy figure landed behind their group; before a flintlock pistol emerged from the darkness.

"Red demon!" Yvonne growled venomously, scowling as she stepped out of the shadows. "I grow tired of your games! Take me to the fountain, before I cut your suit to ribbons, and tie your innards like a-" she blinked, suddenly noticing the other faces between herself and The Endless, her pistol lowering as her face lit with surprise. "...  _Amis?"_

"Yvonne?" Taylor choked, his eyes wide in disbelief, as he quickly ran his eyes over the pirate; checking she wasn't injured from their trip in the capsizing rowboats.

"Yes." The Endless chuckled, shaking his head at her in exasperation. "She's been following me for some time."

"Where's Malatesta?" Taylor asked, ignoring The Endless's interjection, as he frowned over at his friend. "After the storm, we couldn't find either of you."

"La Mer brought us to shore, a ways to the South." Yvonne explained, scowling as she recalled something which Taylor assumed was unpleasant. "Mal, the slithering  _codfish_  that he is, immediately left to fine the Dorado." She said, her scowl deepening as she stepped around then and raised her pistol again, aiming it once more at The Endless. "Which is when I saw this scarlet cretin, and tracked them here!"

"Welcome to No'ox Naj, Yvonne." The Endless said, beaming a wide grin at the pirate. "What you've looked for all this time, can be found here." He said smugly, earning himself a scowl from Taylor.

" _C'est ici_?!" Yvonne cried, her eyes widening as they darted around the cavern, before resettling on The Endless.  _"Where?!"_  She demanded eagerly.

"I will show it to you." The Endless promised, before glancing around the rest of the group. "Everyone else, should prepare for the journey to Quarr'tel." He said, as Taylors eyes net Varyyn's, which were wide with awe and surprise.

"Quarr'tel? The City of Heretics..." The Elyyshar demanded, shaking his head in disbelief. "That place was lost, during the Three Tribes War."

"Not so lost these days, you'll find." The Endless quipped cheerfully, before the old man turned and began to slowly clunk his way up the stairs.

Taylor took a deep breath, before reluctantly following after him, ascending into the hidden alcove where Zahra's decoy skeleton was discovered. "Stay with me, Taylor and Yvonne. We will join the rest of you outside shortly."

"Yeah, that  _ain't_  happenin', Time Trotter." Jake snorted, his hand lacing determinedly with Taylors. "I already seen the effect you have on him enough, I ain't lettin' you break him twice."

"Jake..." Taylor sighed, squeezing his hand affectionately, as he leaned closer and briefly grazed his lips to the pilots stubbled jaw. "I'll be fine." He promised quietly, raising their linked hands to press a finger to Jake's lips, as the pilot moved to speak. "I was scared you would all hate me, for being...  _him._  For hiding it. I never expected..." He choked, quickly taking a deep stabilizing breath, before smiling cautiously. "There's nothing he can do to me now... You already know everything." He said, as Jake frowned down at him, sweeping his fingers over Taylors cheek briefly.

"You  _sure_  about this, Boy Scout?" He pressed, glancing at The Endless warily. Taylor drew the pilots hand to his lips and kissed it softly, his eyes locked with Jake's as he nodded gently.

"Yeah." He said quietly, lowering their hands. "I'll be okay. Thanks." He whispered, as he squeezed the pilots hand again in reassurance, though Jake's expression remained unconvinced.

"... I'm gonna get it back." Jake promised quietly, stepping closer as Taylor frowned and tilted his head at him curiously. "Ya smile. The  _real_  one." He said in quick succession, as Taylor huffed in dry humour. The pilot leaned down, only for Taylor to turn his cheek at the last moment, biting his lip guiltily.

"Stop being an idiot," he said quietly, averting his eyes as he lightly jostled the pilot away. "I'm already smiling. Now go, so I can help Yvonne out." He added, as Jake scowled down at him petulantly.

"Meet you back at camp, Taylor." Diego said loudly, before Jake could comment any further, moving closer to nudge his friends shoulder gently. He winked, as he pulled Jake away, ushering him along behind Varyyn as the group filed out. "Just, give him some time... He'll be okay soon." He said, in an overly loud whisper.

"Damn well  _better_  be." Jake snarked, not even getting a chance to look back at Taylor before he was quickly led outside, leaving only Yvonne and The Endless standing in the main hall with Taylor.

The Endless slowly walked over to the tree which Sean and Kele had investigated earlier, gesturing with his flesh hand, as he smiled proudly. "Here it is." He said, as Taylor raised a dubious brow.

"I grow tired of your tricks, cretin!" Yvonne barked, her hand inching toward Chou Chou at her hip. "This is a tree, not a fountain!"

"Trust me, Yvonne." The Endless said, ignoring Taylor as he snorted loudly. "Place your hands on the bark. Think back to the year you left France." He encouraged, gesturing towards the tree again.

Yvonne looked over at Taylor nervously, before she slowly complied with The Endless's directions. " _Zut alors_!" She cried, her eyes widening in disbelief. "What is this?" She demanded, as the bark beneath her hands became translucent. Within the spectral tree, a small boy sitting on a crate could be seen. "Pattie? Pattie,  _Mon doux petit frere_! I'm here!" The pirate gushed, her eyes welling with tears as she beheld the small boy.

The child looked up, as if he'd heard something, but despite Yvonne's desperate pleading, he frowned at his feet and began to cough heavily. "...  _Kff! Kff_!"

"Yvonne, is that... your brother?" Taylor asked, stepping slightly closer to the pirate, though careful to keep his distance from the tree. As if she didn't hear him however, the pirate merely glared at The Endless.

"Red Devil, is he alright? Why is he coughing?" She demanded, her expression fierce and furious. "Will he survive?"

The Endless's face crumpled with sadness, as he slowly shook his head. "... No. He has only a few months left." He said quietly, as Taylor scowled over at him.

"Then why take me here?! What are you playing at?!" Yvonne cried scathingly, her furious glare marred only by her tears. "How could you-"

"Yvonne, easy..." Taylor said, gently laying his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, only to feel her shaking.  _"You,_  I didn't think I could actually think any less of." He said, as he raised his eyes to The Endless resentfully. "What  _is_  this? What's going on?" He asked, as Yvonne took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"Patrice... I  _left_  him." She choked, shaking her head as she swallowed thickly. "Promising, when I came back, we'd be rich as kings. But, when I returned from my first tour on a pirate ship..." She explained, her voice breaking as she hung her head, unable to meet his eyes. "I found that he'd been taken, by the White Plague."

"Oh, Yvonne..." Taylor murmured, squeezing her shoulder supportively, as his heart swelled with sympathy.

"The Mayans called this tree 'Fountain of Youth,' but it does not restore ones vitality per se." The Endless explained gently, eyeing them both curiously. "You may reflect on a time, on a place... but that is all."

"Then use your magic!" The pirate pleaded, her eyes wide as she turned to look at The Endless brokenly. "Go back in time and save him, as you did  _your_  friends!"

"Yvonne..." The Endless sighed, shaking his head as Taylor grimaced, already anticipating his response. "It took hundreds of changes to history and circumstance, just for them to survive  _one day_  on this island." He explained, spreading his mismatching hands before him. "If we had the luxury of many years, with nothing else on the line, perhaps we could save Patrice from his illness. But we have neither."

Taylor wisely chose to say nothing as he scowled at The Endless, though his eyes were lit with accusation, as Yvonne listened to Patrice hum a tune to himself.

"Yvonne the fair sails the seas, in search of fame and gold. She fights and raids, and cuts down knaves, who dare to call her old...  _Kff! Kff_!" He saing, before breaking off into a heavy fit of coughing.

"Please." Yvonne pleaded quietly, her vivacious spirit crushed beneath her pain, as she looked up at The Endless desperately. "I have come all this way... What  _can_  I do for him?"

"If you reach out with your heart, and focus on being there with him, he will hear you." The old man explained gently, gesturing towards the small boy. "See you."

"And then?" Yvonne asked, her shoulders slumping as if she already guessed the answer.

"... You will only have a few minutes to speak with him, but, he will remember what you say." The Endless said, as Yvonne lowered her gaze to the floor.

Taylor felt his heart constrict for the woman, her pain palpable around them as she raised her eyes to him, her chin quivering. "Taylor, I don't know if I can do it... I  _want_  to, with all my heart, but-"

"Yvonne, this is your chance to say goodbye." He said gently, squeezing her shoulder as he leaned down and kissed her temple gently. "It might be your only chance to do this, Yvonne. Your heart has already made its choice... So, take it... While you still can." He encouraged quietly, as she nodded her head gratefully.

"... Thank you, Taylor." She said lowly, clearing her throat as he stepped back to give her some semblance of privacy. Her grip on the tree tightened, and she knocked her forehead against it. "Pattie!" She called, her voice twisted by joy and by grief combined. " _Mon petit frere!_  Can you hear me?"

Patrice stopped singing, his eyes wide as he stared up at Yvonne's face in awe. "Yvie? _C'est vous_?!"

 _"Oui,_  petit Pattie..." The pirate hiccupped, her eyes soft as she smiled down at him with a cocky grin, which Taylor knew she didn't feel.

"Yvie!" Patrice cried joyfully, his face lighting with a huge grin, as he rushed at her with open arms, only to be stopped by the tree. Taylors heart ached for the boy and the pirate both, as the small boy tried to press through, but to no avail. " _Grande soeur, ou es-tu? Je ne peux pas-_ " he began, frowning as he coughed and tried to push through against the tree again.

Yvonne bit her lip, holding back tears as the aura of the tree encompassed Taylor, making him feel like an intruder on their intimate exchange, as he found himself able to understand their conversation in French. "Little Pattie... I do not have long." Yvonne said brokenly, gazing down at the boy longingly. "I only have a few minutes."

"Are there guards chasing you? I will fight them off-" the small boy said fiercely, drawing a small, fond chuckle from Taylor; despite his not knowing him personally, his heart warmed by the childs protective innocence. " _Kff! Kff_!" Patrice's coughing reminded Taylor of the boy's condition, and the warmth in his heart cooled considerably.

"No, Pattie, no. Just... sit down, okay?" Yvonne said, her words weighted by her obvious, heavy sense of guilt. "I have... something to tell you." She said, dropping to her knees at the trunk, her head level with Patrice's. "This... is the  _last_  time I will see you." Yvonne choked, her expression twisting with guilt and grief at Patrice's gasp of shock.

 _"What?!_  B-but why?" He demanded, his wide eyes lit with a betrayal which cut through Taylors still raw heart, recalling what he'd expected from his own recent confessions to his friends. "You  _promised_  you would come back for me! You-" The child accused, and tears fell from Yvonne's eyes, as he began another hacking fit.

"I did, my dear. I did." She choked, her emotions overwhelming her, as she stared at her beloved little brother brokenly. "I'm right here." She assured, attempting to squirm closer to the tree.

The boy's coughs tapered off, leaving him to gaze at the floor thoughtfully, until he slowly raised his troubled eyes to Yvonne's. "... I'm sick, Yvie." He said quietly, his small face consumed by guilt at the confession.

Yvonne choked on a quiet sob, looking to the ceiling briefly as she painted a comforting smile on her face. "... I know." She said brokenly, biting her lip to keep from sobbing again.

"Madame la Roche from church, says it won't get better." The child said, though there was no trace of sadness in his tone, only resignation to his fate.

"I..." Yvonne choked, shaking her head roughly as she gazed at him tearfully. "No. It  _won't."_  She admitted, her shoulders convulsing as she finally broke, quiet sobs escaping her as she stared at her brother longingly. "I am so, so sorry, Pattie... I was an idiot to leave you by yourself." She said self depreciatively, taking a deep breath as she shook her head slowly. "Not a day goes by, where I don't regret not taking you on the Dorado with me."

Patrice pressed the palm of his hand against hers on the tree, staring up at her compassionately. "It's not your fault, Yvie. If I came with you, you would have gotten sick too." He reasoned, as Taylor stared at the small boy in awe.

"But-" Yvonne protested, only for her little brother to break into a furious scowl and growl at her crossly, as Taylor covered his mouth to hide a small chuckle at the childs behaviour.

 _"No_  but!" Patrice said, pouting at Yvonne as he leaned closer to the tree. "If we don't have long, I need you to  _listen,_  Yvie." He said firmly, before his expression morphed into a soft and affectionate smile. "Whenever I can, I sneak down to the Rotting Pig Tavern, and listen to the pirates talk." He confessed, peeking up at his sister guiltily.

 _"What?!"_  Yvonne choked, staring down at him in wide eyed disbelief. "They are dangerous, Pattie!" She scolded, as her brothers scowl reappeared on his face.

"I'm not done yet!" He said hotly, grinning broadly as he successfully silenced her. "One day, Captain Malatesta came on, singing a sea shanty; about you!" He said excitedly.

"H-he did?!" Yvonne gasped, blinking rapidly in her surprise.

"I said 'that's my sister!' And he said... you're a great pirate." Patrice said fondly, smiling jubilantly at the treasured memory.

"Pattie..." Yvonne sighed, tears falling from her eyes as the light within the tree began to flicker.

"Yvie, what's going on?  _Kff! Kff!_ " Patrice gasped, his cough worsening in his distress.

"You're almost out of time..." The Endless warned quietly, as Taylor bit his lip, desperately wishing he could do something more for the pirate.

"You must listen to  _me_  now, little Pattie." Yvonne said urgently, wiping away her tears determinedly as she painted a warm smile on her face. "I promise, when I conquer my own island, and run a port; revered by all pirates... It will be Patrice Port." She said, drawing a fond giggle from the child, as her smile slipped away. "I... wish you could see it."

"I will, Yvie." Patrice said, smiling confidently, as Yvonne's eyes widened in surprise. "Through  _you."_  He said, as the pair leaned their foreheads against one another, as close as they could physically manage. "I love you, Yvie." Patrice said fondly, his expression filled only with joy and love, at having seen his beloved sister again.

"I love you, my little brother..." Yvonne whispered, her shoulders noticeably twitching from her effort not to cry in front of the boy. "So,  _so_  much." She added brokenly, as Patrice faded even further, barely visible in the bark.

"I'll be with you soon, okay?" He called, beaming a wide grin at Yvonne, his eyes lit with certainty and conviction.

"I know you will. Until then, Pattie. G... Goodbye." Yvonne choked, as suddenly, his spirit was gone. The bark returned to its dark, mossy exterior, as Yvonne sobbed against the tree.

"I am sorry, Yvonne." The Endless said, his expression twisted by genuine remorse. "I wish there was more I could do."

Yvonne gave no sign of having heard him, clutching the tree like a scared child to its parent, wailing in her grief. Taylor wordlessly dropped to her side, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She turned, and sobbed into his chest, as Taylor held her tightly and soothed her broken heart the best he could. "I'm  _so_  sorry, Yvonne." He finally whispered, as she devolved to quiet sobs and sniffles.

"That stupid, beautiful, wonderful boy..." She gasped, shaking her head in disbelief at her brothers show of compassion. "What right's a child have, saying such things?" She demanded, scowling as she scrubbed at her eyes firmly. "If he's so wise now, what could he have become, if... if..."

"I  _wish,_  I knew what to say to make this better." Taylor said longingly, his heart aching with sympathy for the pirates strong sense of loss. "If there even  _is_  something I can say."

"You've already done more than I could ever ask, Taylor." Yvonne said warmly, gripping his hand tightly in gratitude.

 _"Huh?!"_  He balked, his heart lurching as he drew back to look down at her in wide eyed surprise.

"I was ready to turn back, to not take this chance to talk with him." Yvonne said quietly, shaking her head shamefully. "It was painful, but... it's  _good,_  to know what he wants for me." She said, drawing a deep breath and gazing up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "You should be feeling similarly cleansed, non? Now that your friends know everything? I did not understand before, how a thing could have scared you so... I'm sorry, ami."

"No, its..." Taylor said, his throat constricting as he thought of his friends, and their show of support; so similar to Patrice's. He huffed, warmth once more settling in his heart as he thought of his own affection for his friends. "I guess so..." He murmured, before smiling softly. "Well, I'm glad I could help then." He said, and at once, Yvonne broke free from his embrace and turned away.

"I need...  _time._  By myself." She said abruptly, standing and collecting her things.

"You... don't want to say goodbye to the others?" Taylor asked knowingly, thinking back to his own feelings after his confrontation.

"I don't think I can right now..." Yvonne said, shaking her head sadly as she glanced back at him briefly. "Give them my best."

"I will." Taylor promised, as she flashed him a grateful grin. The pirate took a deep breath and sighed, gazing down at the floor thoughtfully.

"I will catch up to you... when I feel ready. Okay?" She said, as Taylor pushed to his feet, nodding his head in silent agreement. "Until we next meet, ami." She said, dipping her head to them both, before walking into the wilderness.

 _Yvonne..._  Taylor thought, sighing as he considered her fragile state. He frowned, considering his own feelings and attempting to filter through them. He could still feel the gnawing guilt, over having kept his knowledge from them; but he could also make out his awe, love and affection _. I have to put it behind me now. They know, and they don't hate me... So I can't keep hating myself._  He thought, taking a deep breath as he tried to sweep his emotions into order.

"Come. We must keep moving." The Endless said, leading the way out the opposite exit to Taylors friends, where he was immediately confronted by an irate pilot.

"Keep walking, Firefly." He said roughly, glancing towards The Endless with a frown, before looking back at Taylor in concern. The Endless hesitated, before moving away to the edge of the camp, where Raj and Craig began to question him quietly.

"What-" Taylor began, looking up at Jake's clear eyes in confusion, as the pilot caged him against the wall.

"You okay?" Jake demanded, his hand reaching for Taylors and lacing their fingers together almost urgently. "I wanted to say; I should've come over to ya quicker, I shouldn't have let ya get that bad... I-"

"Jake... Jake,  _stop!"_  Taylor said, knocking his head to Jake's shoulder affectionately, hiding his face. "I  _get_  it. It was a pretty big shock, I know..." He said quietly, squeezing Jake's hand reassuringly.

"I'm sorry, Boy Scout..." The pilot sighed, as Taylor frowned and looked up at him curiously. "That you had to deal with that,  _alone._  Christ, if you were that bad in there-"

"Yeah, I didn't take it well." Taylor said, shaking his head and swallowing thickly as he recalled the first time he met The Endless. "I was pretty sick..." He admitted, sighing as he looked back at Jake. "But I'm okay, now. I just didn't know how to..."

"Taylor, you know deep down, you're  _not_  him, right?" Jake hummed, his fingers grazing over Taylors arm affectionately. "Maybe he was you once, but he ain't anymore... Nobody thinks-"

"I just... The Endless made this loop. It's because of  _him_  that you all died so many times." Taylor said, as he swallowed guiltily. "I didn't know if anyone would be able to look past that."

"Taylor, you realise if he hadn't... We'd all be dead anyway?" Jake snorted, raising a brow at Taylor, as he blinked up at him in surprise. "You're such an idiot sometimes, Taylor..." Jake sighed, scuffing his chin gently with his knuckles. "What do you think our choice would be, over fighting to survive over multiple lives; or just, giving in and lettin' ourselves die?"

"Well, I mean... I never..." Taylor hedged, pouting as his cheeks tinged with heat. "I guess, I didn't think about it like that. I was so focused on all the pain, and on seeing you all-"

"I get it, Taylor. I get it. If we'd seen the things you have, we'd probably have felt the same..." The pilot assured, nuzzling Taylors temple briefly. "But, maybe it's 'cause we  _didn't;_  that we can see it the way we do..." He paused, glancing across the camp to where The Endless was still waiting with Raj and Craig. "You uh, you ain't told him you can remember stuff, have you?"

"No... Something tells me he shouldn't know." Taylor said quickly, debating briefly before grimacing and beginning to toy with the pilots dog tags. "He uh, he said this was the last chance... The time loop might still be stable enough for us to live in, but, for whatever reason; it can't reset _. I._.. can't reset." He said, peeking up at Jake, as the pilot frowned thoughtfully.

"Somethin' changed?" He guessed, as Taylor nodded. "Well, I guess that means I better stick closer to you then. Stop you doin' stupid shit anymore." He sighed, though his gaze was affectionate as he looked down at Taylor, whose lips twitched in amusement.

"How close you thinking exactly, Top Gun?" He asked, walking his fingers up to the pilots collar, as Jake narrowed his eyes at him in playful suspicion.

"Well, I could probably work with, I dunno... attached." The pilot hummed, as Taylor bit his lip and feigned a thoughtful expression.

"That's  _very_  close." He said, nodding in consideration, before breaking out in an amused snort. "Luckily, I happen to  _like_  the sound of that plan. When do we start?" He asked, looking up to find Jake watching him with a strange expression.

The pilot shook his head fondly, his momentary distraction passing, as he glanced around. "Hey, where'd Buccaneer Barbie go?" He asked, suddenly realizing the pirate had still not emerged.

"She needs some time by herself... It, uh... it hit her pretty hard." Taylor said quietly, sighing as he shifted against the wall, forcing Jake to step back as he gestured towards the others. "She said for us to go on without her." He explained, squeezing the pilots hand.

"Oh, I hope she'll be okay..." Quinn said, as she joined them, gesturing towards the others. "Sorry guys, but we can't really wait anymore, we should really get going."

"Yeah, no, I mean; that's fine." Taylor stammered, looking up at Jake briefly when the pilot snorted. "I mean, I just need to grab my stuff..." He said, clearing his throst as he freed his hand from Jake's and darted away to collect his things.

"... Is he okay?" Taylor heard Quinn whisper, as Jake sighed and seemed to clap his hand to something. Taylor slowly rifled through his bag, wanting to give them a moment to share their fears and trying not to hear their conversation.

"When is Taylor  _ever_  okay..?" The pilot huffed, and Taylor bit his lip guiltily, almost able to feel the pilots scowl across the short distance between them. "But, I'm hopin' he will be soon. He'll be better, once we can ditch the Wrinkle Twin..." The pilot assured, as Taylor felt his heart swell with affection for the other man. He slung his bag over his shoulder, and made his way back over. "Ready?" Jake asked, raising a brow at him curiously as he rejoined them.

"I was  _born_  ready." Taylor sniggered, as a slow grin spread across Jake's face, his relief over Taylors returning personality tangible in the air around him. Taylor moved to follow Quinn, as she walked towards the others, only for Jake to grab his wrist and draw him back.  _"Now,_  what-" he began to snark, only to fall silent as Jake's lips settled softly over his own.

Taylors heart melted, the affection and intimacy in the pilots gentle kiss stealing his breath, and leaving him aching for more as Jake drew back. "Just  _try_  and remember that." The pilot murmured, chuckling softly at Taylors dazed expression.

"Mmm..." He hummed, as the pilot took his hand and led him over to the others, ducking his head as a goofy smile blossomed across his face.

"Come, we have little time." The Endless said, gesturing to a tear, glittering in the air beside him. He stepped through, before reaching back and curling his finger, calling for them to follow him.

"Down the rabbit hole, we go..." Taylor sighed, stepping forward and walking through the time rip, to find himself in unfamiliar territory. Taylor moved forward slowly, drawing Jake through the portal by their linked hands, the others following behind them quickly.

"Damn..." Jake murmured, his sharp eyes glancing around quickly when they found themselves at the edge of a vast, utterly blackened expanse of trees.

Estela knelt down, examining the ash strewn forest floor. "What  _did_  this?" She asked, frowning as she rubbed soot between her fingertips.

"... The war between my people was vicious." Varyyn said quietly, after taking a long pause to look around the area himself.  _"Too_  vicious." He added regretfully, throwing a brief, accusatory glance at The Endless, before lowering his gaze to the floor.

Taylor bit his lip as he felt his heart clench with guilt, The Endless's manipulation of the Vaanti an even greater injustice in the light of such destruction. A tight squeeze of his hand made him look up, and he found Jake frowning at him, shaking his head slowly. He sighed and gave a small, reluctant nod, averting his eyes as looked around the broken landscape again.

"The Lorax would  _not_  be happy." Diego said, gazing around sadly, as he reached up to squeeze Varyyn's shoulder gently.

Kele glared around the barren landscape bitterly, his lip curling with disgust. "Can't even escape war here." The soldier muttered darkly, as Quinn sidled up beside him and silently shared in his outrage.

The Endless caught Taylors attention, and he reluctantly turned towards his older self, though Jake held him back from approaching, as the old man pointed into the distance. "Stay East, and you should reach the city." He assured, though Taylor remained dubious from the old mans use of the word 'should.' "The Vaanti there, can help you reach Rourke's compound."

"And I'm sure they won't be at all upset about our sending their ancestors to the distant future of anything..." Diego rambled, jumping slightly when Varyyn curled an arm about his waist in comfort.

"Am I the only one, who feels like we're out of extra lives on Evil Mode?" Zahra asked dejectedly, as Taylor coughed and blinked at her in surprise, the analogy curiously on the mark for his own feelings. He glanced at Jake, who shrugged dismissively.

"What are you afraid of, ghoulie girl?" Kele asked curiously, as Taylor snorted and Jake laughed at him. "It's a field of dead trees."

"Never call me that,  _ever_  again." Zahra demanded venomously, glaring at the World War Two soldier hotly.

"Looks like Uncle Sam and I are on the same page." Jake sniggered, beaming a wide grin at the other military man.

 _"Please."_  Michelle scoffed, rolling her eyes at his gleeful grin. "You two aren't even in the same  _book."_  She said smugly, as Jake's expression fell to a pout.

"Aw, don't worry, Top Gun..." Taylor chuckled quietly, squeezing his hand as he nudged the pilots shoulder gently. "You're still my number one nicknamer." He teased, as Jake snorted and shook his head.

"Guys, we have a lot to do before the sun goes down." Sean said, heaving a long suffering sigh, as he tried to re-focus their attention on their task.

"The more things change..." The Endless said softly, fondly watching the people who'd in another life, been his friends, as they bantered and bickered playfully.

"... The more they stay the same." Taylor said quietly, glancing at The Endless in reluctant understanding.

The Endless continued to watch the group banter, stepped back from the others discreetly, as he addressed Taylor quietly. "There will no doubt be trials along the way, but I have faith you will succeed."

"Pfft, _you_  have faith?" Taylor snorted, narrowing his eyes at the older version of himself suspiciously. "After everything you've seen?" He sceptically, thinking of all the things he'd seen in his alternate lives himself.

"Faith is  _all_  I have left, Taylor." The Endless said wistfully, turning towards Taylor with a lopsided grin. "Faith that you will stop Rourke. Faith, that you will protect our friends." He said, as Taylor unconsciously clenched his hands, sensing something far more sinister, hidden behind The Endless's words. "Faith, that the cycle can be broken, one day soon."

"Hey, Old Timer, whaddya think you're doin'?" Jake asked, frowning over at The Endless suspiciously. Taylor blinked, before looking down and realising his hand was clamped tightly around the pilots.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't-" he began, as Jake flicked his eyes down to him, concern and anger swirling within the clear cerulean orbs. "Hey, no... nothing happened. I'm fine." He assured quickly, as The Endless silently turned away and began climbing up a hill behind them.

"Taylor-" Jake pressed, glancing after The Endless, as the old man disappeared over the hill with surprising speed.

"Jake." Taylor quickly cut in, silencing the pilot with a finger to his lips. "I'm fine. Just... I was overthinking." He said evasively, smiling softly as Jake's expression melted into something close to relief, and he gently knocked his forehead to Taylors.

"You do that way too much." The pilot huffed, his eyes flicking over Taylor briefly, before he winked ag him suggestively. "I'm obviously gonna have to work on fixin' that."

"Really, now?" Taylor snorted, as Jake's free hand began to tickle its way up his side. "I'll look forward to that then." He snickered, as Jake huffed amusedly, before his attention was stolen by movement nearby.

Estela crouched down, pointing to a trail of footprints leading South, as Jake and Taylor drew apart and moved closer. "These are fresh." She said, glancing up at Jake, who nodded in confirmation of her find. "Maybe they'll lead us to someone who knows the way."

"There's something else." Kele called, his eyes wide as he waved them over, and gestured at a slash mark along a tree. "A tracking mark. "If we follow trees slashed like this, it might take us where we want to go."

"So, nobody wants to just find East and go that way? Like The Endless said to?" Raj asked, flinching when several frowns turned his way. "Hey, was just a suggestion..." The large boy sulked, averting his gaze as the others shook their heads.

"Let's follow those footsteps!" Taylor said excitedly, looking up at Diego with a snigger. "Because nothing bad ever happened following footsteps through creepy, dead forests."

"I hate you so much, right now." Diego said flatly, scowling at him balefully as Taylor grinned crookedly and wrinkled his nose at him.

"Love you too, buddy." He sniggered, as Diego rolled his eyes and shoved his shoulder.

"Let's go!" Estela urged, leading the group as they traced the footsteps along the ash-laden earth. They bickered and bantered as they travelled, though kept sharp eyes on their markers. When time seemed to slip past them quicker, with no sign of change; Taylor decided to boost morale.

"I spy..." He began as Diego and Jake scoffed and scowled at him playfully. "With my little eye..." He continued, sniggering at the long suffering sighs of Estela, Craig and Zahra.

"McKenzie, control your idiot." Estela finally groused, after the sixth round of Taylors imaginative spying of; tree, dead tree, withered tree, black tree and tree corpse. "He's clearly bored. Do something with him."

"Already done." Jake snickered quietly in Taylors ear, as Taylor quickly shushed him and glanced around with a guilty giggle. "C'mon, Boy Scout, no more trees."

"Okay..." Taylor said slowly, his amusement fading as he locked his gaze onto the path ahead of them. "I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with; stranger at one o'clock." He said, gesturing to where he could see someone in eccentric attire, leaning against a tree. "Also,  _tree."_  He added, sniggering when Quinn slapped his arm playfully.

Varyyn waved his hand cautiously, calling out in the native Vaanti tongue. " **Los'na! Pashtara makla pren Elyys'tel**!" He said, as the other Vaanti visibly jerked from the language.

Taylor eyed the newcomers strange mixture of clothes, the vibrant orange shirt clashing considerably with the dark blue sleeveless jacket, and strange black leather pauldron on one shoulder. Perhaps the strangest thing was the Vaanti's odd facial coverings, a black eye mask which almost appeared to be fitted to his face, along with a white mask which covered both his nose and mouth.

" _Quis es?_ " The strange Vaanti called uncertainly, his face almost unreadable, except for the blatant shock in one visible eye. " _Quid tu hic agis_?" He tried again.

"Was that  _Latin?"_  Michelle queried, as Varyyn blinked, and stared back at the strange Vaanti blankly.

" _Pouvez-vous parler francais_?" Jake called, his eyes wide as he looked over at the newcomer, a hint of realisation dawning in his gaze. Taylor looked up at Jake sharply, the pilot glancing down with a raised brow at his incredulous expression. "What's with you?" He asked suspiciously, eyeing Taylors slowly growing crooked grin.

"Just..." Taylor hummed, shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly. "Never heard you speak French before." He hedged, clearing his throat as he turned away. "...  _Kinda_  turned on right now..." He admitted in a quiet murmur, as Jake barked with surprised laughter.

" _Ich kann Sie nicht verstehen._ " The Vaanti called, shaking their head in frustration. " _Vielleicht sprechen Sie Deutsch_? Or English?" He tried, as Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I think he said English!" Craig exclaimed excitedly, beaming a proud grin around them as he jerked his chin to the Vaanti. "We speak that one!" He called eagerly.

The strangely dressed Vaanti heaved a great sigh of relief, his shoulders visibly drooping. "Why did you not say so?" He asked waspishly, folding his arms over his chest.

"Can you help us?" Taylor asked, ignoring the Vaanti's obvious sulking as they approached him. "We're trying to find Quarr'tel."

"Quarr'tel is a place for those who live mot today, yesterday or tomorrow..." The Vaanti said cryptically, his eyes narrowing at Taylor as he tilted his head curiously. "But all of them at once." He said, as Taylor curled in on himself, distinctly uncomfortable at the strange sensation of the Vaanti looking right through him.

"Listen, Fortune Cookie." Jake growled, stepping forward to draw the Vaanti's attention from Taylor, seeming to sense his discomfort. "The world depends on us getting to your tree house. Could ya try to make some sense?" He snarked, scowling at the strange Vaanti.

"Cool your heels, flyboy." Kele said, raising a placating hand towards Jake. "I'm sure we can work something out." He assured, as Taylor looked between them both with a raised brow.

 _"This_  is what Military Schools do? Teach you to give nicknames?" He scoffed, as Jake rolled his eyes and glanced down at him with a cocky wink.

"We're wasting time!" Varyyn growled, scowling over at the strange Vaanti in frustration. "As Elyyshar of Elyys'tel, I  _command_  you to-"

"To what?" The Vaanti interrupted, cocking his head at Varyyn curiously, utterly unfazed by the Elyyshar's outburst. "All citizens of Quarr'tel have revoked titles, property, gods..." He explained slowly. "Everything, in service of the eternal continuum." He added, shrugging his shoulder dismissively, as he eyed Varyyn speculatively. "If you want to get in, you'll have to relinquish your title, 'elyshaar'."

 _"Wh-what?!"_  Varyyn choked, taking a physical step backwards, in nervous disbelief. Taylors heart clenched guiltily, as the Vaanti turned towards Diego and shook his head in mute horror.

"Look, we know you're just trying to do your job, but is there nothing else we can do to get him in?" Sean pressed, his eyes wide as he considered the huge request made of the Vaanti king.

"There is no room for elyshaars, kings, or prophets in our ranks." The strange Vaanti said, shaking his head firmly. "Only brothers and sisters, cogs in the great wheel."

Varyyn stepped further away from him, sharing a nervous look with everyone as he retreated. "... I cannot do this." He said quietly, his tone full of guilt and regret.

"Varyyn..." Diego murmured, stepping beside him and moving to take his hands in his own.

"You must go on without me, Diego. All of you." The Elyyshar said, his eyes sad as he glanced around them all. "I made an oath, the day my mother died. I cannot go back on it." He said, averting his eyes regretfully.

"Varyyn..." Taylor sighed, stepping closer and resting his hand against the Vaanti's elbow gently. "I get it... You have a responsibility to your people. We can't ask you to abandon them."

"What Taylor said, dude." Raj said, clapping the Elyyshar on the back briefly in commiseration.

"This is  _dumb!"_  Craig protested, scowling at the strangely attired Vaanti. "What does it matter, what you tell this punk? You could always just  _lie!"_

 _"You_  are not helping your friend's case." The Vaanti replied, pointing to Craig in something close to exasperation.

"I have no choice, then." Varyyn said firmly, though his tone was thick with grief. With an obsidian knife, he carved a large and distinct cross into a nearby tree. "I will await your return here. If any of my scouts come to this place, I will tell them what we know."

Diego ran his hand over Varyyn's shoulder, and Taylors heart welled with sympathy, at the broken expression his friend wore. He glanced up at Jake, considering the times they'd been separated by chance or by necessity, and the pilot squeezed his hand gently in understanding, as he too recalled the times they'd been forced to part. "... Okay." Diego sighed, drawing the pairs attention back to his obvious heartache. "Just, be safe, alright?" He asked uncertainly, as Varyyn's arms encircled Diego's waist, and he gently laid their foreheads together.

"You be safe as well." The Vaanti pleaded quietly, his bright golden eyes locked onto Diego's dark bronze. "I will never forgive myself if you get hurt." He whispered, before they shared a deep and passionate kiss, while their friends looked away in a parody of privacy. Finally, Varyyn reluctantly pulled away, sighing as he looked around them all longingly. "Good luck, my friends. I hope... you do not need it."

Diego's shoulders slumped as he stepped away from Varyyn, his expression crumpling with grief as he joined Taylor and Jake reluctantly. "You okay, Diego?" Quinn asked, as she joined them, looping her arm through Diego's as taylor slung his free arm around his friends shoulders.

"Let's just..." He sighed, glancing at them gratefully for their support, before looking over at Varyyn longingly. "Do this quickly, okay?" He mumbled, lowering his gaze to the floor, as Varyyn dipped his head to Taylor.

Taylor flashed him a brief grin, ignoring the tendril of ominous foreboding in his gut, as he gently tugged Diego and began walking deeper into the woods with the oddly attired Vaanti.

"Alright, Hot Topic, you win." Jake said scathingly, glaring at the mysterious Vaanti distrustfully. "Now how do we get to the city?"

"You will see." The Vaanti declared, as Taylor felt a shiver curl down his spine. "In time." He added, turning and walking through the center of the group, nudging Raj along the way.

 _"Wh-whoa!"_  The large boy gasped, drawing the groups attention away from Taylor as he shivered and drew back from them, recalling Rourke's words from his first remembered memories; the strange dream he'd had on the flight into La Huerta. He took a deep breath and pushed aside the rush of ominous feelings which tried to overwhelm him, gathering himself quickly as the Vaanti disappeared into the mist.

"Jerk." Michelle sneered, her hands in her hips as she glared in the direction he'd disappeared.

"So, which direction do we go from here?" Estela asked, looking around with narrowed eyes, as if trying to decipher some clue between the identical paths.

Taylor looked up at the sky and, due to the cloud cover, couldn't find the position of the sun. "Well, you know me." He said, nudging Jake playfully as he recalled their trek through the emergency shelters repetitive halls. "Never pass up a chance to go right." He said, crossing right as Jake and Diego both snorted at him. He led them along the edge of the burnt forest, but none of them were able to find any distinguishing trails or tracks.

"Are we there yet?" Craig complained, after several long momenta of silence had passed.

"Don't look now, but I'm  _very_  certain we've seen that burned stump before." Jake said, his eyes wide as he peered at the broken remains curiously.

"I  _knew_  it! We're walking in circles!" Estela growled in frustration, as she ran a hand through her bangs and angrily brushed them from her face.

"This is taking forever..." Quinn sighed, her cheeks puffing as she pouted tiredly around the endless burnt tree husks.

"Taylor, maybe we should try-" Diego vegan, only to break off abruptly and turn towards the back of the group in concern.

 _"Whoooa!"_  Raj cried, as he tripped on an exposed tree root and fell on his face. "I'm okay!" He called, rubbing his head as he pouted at the ground in betrayal. Michelle giggled and reached down to help Raj up, before trailing off suddenly and backing away slowly.

"Raj, why is your pocket glowing?" The blonde asked nervously, as the large boy looked down, and realized a fuschia glow was shining in his pocket.

 _"Oh god, what is it-_ " he cried, clawing at his desperately in an effort to removed the unnatural glow.

"Calm down, Raj." Sean said, attempting to soothe the larger boy, though his words were barely heard over Raj's terrified wails. "Let's just-" he began, as Raj finally reached into his pocket and flung the glowing object to the dirt, before hiding behind a tree.

As Taylors eyes adjusted to the light, he leaned in closer to see a familiar crystalline shard.  _"Urgh..."_  He groaned, wrinkling his nose as he stepped back quickly, shaking his head as it began to swim with the first hints of dizziness.

"Jake, don't let him touch that." Zahra warned, as Jake raised a brow curiously at Taylors reaction.

"You remember my dizzy spell, just before we left Elyys'tel?" He asked, gesturing towards the crystal with his chin. "That was from something similar." He explained, as Jake scowled and drew him further away from the shard.

"Why is it everythin' on this damn island seems intent on makin' you ill or worse?" The pilot groused, as Taylor huffed an amused sigh.

"Just lucky, I guess." He said airily, as Jake rolled his eyes, though Taylor snickered as he noticed the pilots lips twitch with amusement.

"The fella we saw earlier must have put it on you," Kele said thoughtfully, as he crouched and picked up the shard. "When he bumped into you..."

"Maybe it's-" Diego began hopefully, his eyes lighting in sudden thought.

"Part of the solution!" Sean eagerly finished, following Diego's train of thought with a small grin. "That must be it!"

"Y-yeah. That." Diego said weakly, his face falling into a pout as his moment of genius was stolen from beneath him.

"Hey, cheer up, assbutt." Taylor said, nudging his friend playfully as he grinned at him. "I still think you're the smart ass... butt." He said, drawing a small snort from Diego, as his friend looked over appreciatively at the distraction. "Hey, Kele, stop!" Taylor called suddenly, his eyes widening as he watched the World War Two soldier turn the crystal over in his hands. As the veteran held the crystal to the right, it seemed to glow brighter, and Taylor pointed eagerly at the revelation.  _"Look!"_

"I wonder if that means something..." Zahra muttered, narrowing her eyes as she atxhed Kele move the crystal back and forth, its glow dimming and growing depending on where he held it.

"Let's go right!" Taylor said eagerly, as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes. As Kele turned right, the crystal's glow grew brighter with every step they took. "Yeah, this is  _totally_  a good thing!" Taylor said smugly, moving to follow Kele, o ly for Jake to hold him back, allowing a bigger gap to form between Taylor and the crystal shard.

"Good job, Taylor!" Quinn giggled, bumping her hip to his affectionately.

"I wouldn't have spotted it without Kele's help..." Taylor said innocently, though his lips curved into a devilish grin. "You can go thank  _him_  if you want... Copiously. With ton-"

 _"Taylor!"_  Quinn choked, flushing a similar shade as her hair, as she slapped his bare forearm. "Don't you get all cocky with me, Mr! I still know what you got up to in the woods!" She whispered furiously, smirking as Taylor loudly cleared his throat and pointedly ceased his teasing.

As they walked, the crystal shone brighter, until finally; Taylor spotted a patch of dirt in the distance, which seemed to glow in response.  _"There!_  It must want to go there!" He cried eagerly, while Jake rolled his eyes at his exuberant attitude.

As they approached, Zahra used her pocket knife to dig into the cracked soil.  _"Jackpot!"_  She snickered, grinning broadly as she dug out another shard and tossed it to Kele.

"Hmm..." Taylor frowned, shaking his head as the two shards together seemed to radiate an aura of power. He grimaced, and took several steps away, releasing Jake's hand as he rubbed his stomach and brow together.

"Taylor?" Jake called, following after him and raking his eyes over him in concern. "What is it?" The pilot asked, glancing towards the shards knowingly.

"Urgh, this sucks so bad..." He warned, grimacing as nausea crept onto his gut and a headache began to form behind his eyes. "I am so ready for this game of search and find to be over." He sighed, resting his head to Jake's chest, as the pilot rubbed his shoulders gently.

"Soon, Boy Scout, soon." The pilot promised, as Taylor twisted to look over at the crystals reluctantly. He grimaced at the two were held next to each other, noticing they both suddenly looked shinier and glossier; and that they pulsed with a strange energy.

"Okay..." He sighed, drawing back from Jake's embrace as he took another step back. "We have another one. So,  _now_  what?" He groused, his good humour lost beneath the sickness he felt twisting through his gut.

"Do they still light up and dim, depending on which direction you point 'em, Uncle Sam?" Jake asked, as Kele slowly turned in a circle, the crystals glowing brighter as he faced the back of the group.

"Let me get out of the way," Taylor said quickly, moving away from the group to stand in the trees alongside their path. "Then we can go back..." He said, watching the light dance between the crystals as Kele began moving back the way they'd come.

"Rad." Zahra grinned, waiting with Jake at the back of the group for Taylor to rejoin them, and bumping her fist to his in approval. They moved quickly along their tracks, and up ahead, Taylor saw a familiar tree with a large and distinct cross on its trunk.

"Hey, we're gonna pass Varyyn!" Diego said, perking considerably as he practically glowed himself. "We gotta show him these cool crystals!" He said, shrugging back at Taylor apologetically.

"Sure, and I bet it has  _nothing_  to do with wanting more kisses!" Quinn teased, giggling when Diego feigned a large gasp of outrage.

"How  _dare_  you..." He drawled, grinning broadly as he sniggered and nodded. "Guess my dastardly plan!" He finished, as Quinn laughed at his eager expression.

Taylor bit his lip, the ominous sensation in his gut growing, as they drew closer and closer to the tree. He felt his heart crash in his chest, suddenly awash with guilt and fear as they reached the tree; only to find it conspicuously, Vaanti-less.

"Varyyn?" Diego called lightly, his cautious steps revealing that he was expecting the Vaanti to drop down and surprise him any second. "Hello?" He tried again, his face falling, az the forest remained utterly silent. Taylor looked at the ground, to see no footsteps in the ash, and no sign of movement in the surrounding trees. "... Varyyn?" Diego called again, the first hint of hysteria creeping into his voice.

"He did say he'd wait here, right?" Quinn asked, her cheeks puffing into a worried pout, as she looked around urgently.

"No footprints, no markings, no sign of a struggle." Estela said, her sharp eyes raking over everything as she frowned in concern. "It's like he-"

"Like, he disappeared." Diego choked, his expression crumpling with grief. Taylor approached his friend cautiously, as Diego ran his hand through his hair, and began to pace nervously. "I'm so stupid... I should have stayed behind with him!" He fumed, his expression slowly morphing into a snarl. "I should have  _been_  here!"

"Diego... We don't know what happened." Taylor tried to reason, raising his hands as he slowly moved closer to his friend. "Maybe, he went to hunt down some food. Or maybe, one of his scouts turned up, maybe they were hurt, or-" he offers, only tfor Diego to shake his head sadly.

"Taylor, the entire time I've known Varyyn, when he makes a promise; he  _never_  goes back on it." Diego insisted, turning and walking back the way they'd come.

"Aw, dude, c'mon..." Taylor called, sighing as he jogged after Diego, but widely kept his distance. "Where are you  _going?"_  He asked in exasperation.

Diego paused to throw him a withering glare over his shoulder, the light hint of betrayal in his eyes making Taylor pause. "To find whoever took him." He said fiercely, but before he could start moving again, Sean put a hand on his shoulder.

"Diego... we don't have the time right now." The athlete said gently, as Diego recoiled as if he'd been struck. "The Endless was pretty clear, that we need to move fast, if we wanna stop Rourke."

"So we leave him behind?!" Diego burst, shoving Sean's hand from his shoulder as his eyes widened, his shock and disgust palpable around him. "Are you  _kidding?!"_  He demanded, shaking his head in disbelief, as Sean averted his gaze guiltily. "He would come back for any  _one_  of us!"

"Dude, nobody's saying that, we're saying lets think a little before running into unknown territory without a plan..." Taylor said slowly, as Diego turned his glare on him.

"You were sworn off plans evrr since you stepped off that cliff! And you  _still_  do crazy shit  _all_  the time!" Diego fumed, jabbing a finger at him accusingly. "Don't stand there and tell me you wouldn't do the same damn thing right now!"

Taylor winced guiltily, lowering his gaze at his friends outburst, knowing only too well how badly he'd have reacted to Jake's disappearance. Michelle gently laid her hand on Taylors arm in support, before looking towards Diego imploringly. "Diego, please, you've got to stay calm..." She said, only for him to cut her off with a derisive snort.

"How can I stay  _calm?!_  What if..." He scoffed, his voice cracking as his furious expression faded into a broken grimace. "He's gone for good..."

"That's  _not_  gonna happen." Taylor promised firmly, as Diego shook his head, clearly not listening as he lost himself to his grief.

"No one in my life has  _ever_  made me feel the way he does." Diego said in a small voice, looking back up at them with a confused shake of his head. "Can't you guys understand that?" He asked pleadingly, choking back a heartbroken sob.

"Diego, you  _know_  I do, dude..." Taylor said quietly, reaching out to him, only for Diego to shrink away.

"I'm going back for him, Taylor!" He yelped nervously, backing away quickly.  _"Don't_  try to stop me!" He called, as he turned and raced away into the trees.

 _"Diego!"_  Taylor yelled urgently, taking off after his friend quickly.

"We're not letting him do this, are we?" Jake asked, as he set off just behind him.

"I'll get him, just keep everyone together!" Taylor called over his shoulder, glancing back to see Jake reluctantly fall back to the others.

"Just remember Taylor... We're tight on time." Sean called after him, as Taylor rolled his eyes.

 _Every single one of us is a hypocrite_... He thought in exasperation, as he darted after Diego, weaving between trees to keep his friend in sight.  _We all have at least one person we'd come back for._.. He huffed as he hastened his pace, as Diego bobbed around a tree stump ahead of them. Taylor narrowed his eyes and sped up, launching himself over the stump, only to crash into his friends back, when Diego suddenly stopped.

 _"Ohmygod."_  Diego gasped, staring ahead at the now somewhat familiar spectral visage, as it descended through the air directly in front of him. Diego staggered backwards against Taylor, who took a large step backwards himself, a sudden rush of fear turning his skin clammy, even as it raised goosebumps along his flesh. "Taylor...  _run!_  I'll try to distract it!" Diego whispered, about to move forward when Taylor snorted and grabbed his arm.

"Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, dude, but I am pretty sure that is unnecessary." Taylor sniggered, before sobering considerably, as a glowing hand reached out to him; urging him to take two small objects from its grasp. With a deep breath, Taylor reached out and accepted the action figures, before stepping around his friend to face him. "Diego, believe me... It's trying to  _help_  you." He said slowly, feeling something tighten in the pit of his stomach, though he quickly pushed the feeling aside, as he presented the two action figures to his friend.

Diego stared for a long moment, his brow furrowing as he tentatively reached out. "Those are my-" he breathed, before his voice was drowned out, and Taylors surroundings were lost in a flood of bright light.

Taylor blinked, and found himself in a lecture hall he didnt recognise. Diego was leaning back against a table, and talking to a group of students. Taylor felt a surge of affection for his friend, his glasses and neatly trimmed stubble giving him a professional appearance, as he looked around his students calmly. "... And when you watch a film, or take in any work of art, try to let go of your expectations." He said imploringly, his hands constantly moving, emphasising his words. "Look at what the work is  _attempting_  to do, and consider whether or not it's succeeding at that."

"But, Mr. Soto..." Called a shy student, her cheeks stained pink as she addressed him. "The Warmest Winter, is virtually unwatchable!" She said, her cheeks flushing darker as the rest of the class laughed.

"Sometimes a movie, will fail at even being a movie." Diego chuckled, beaming a proud grin up at her and not seeming to notice that it only made her blush worse. "There's still a  _lot_  that can be learned from that." He said, as a phone began buzzing on the table behind him. "Good first class, everyone. See you next week!" He called, pushing away from the table.

The strudents began to file out, some pausing to snap a photo of their professor. "Man, I can't believe they got Diego Soto to teach here..." One whispered loudly to their friends, who immediately began to join in on the excited exchange.

"I know, right?" Another gushed, shaking their head in awed disbelief. "He literally rewrote the book on film theory!"

Diego sniggered at his students not so subtle whisperings, turning to grab his phone. His eyebrows rose when he looked at the screen, and he hesitated awkwardly for a moment, his north forgotten. Once all the students had left, he took a deep breath and tapped the screen, placing it phone on speaker. "... Papa?" He asked uncertainly.

"Diego?" Came a rasping voice, only faintly warbled by the phone. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah. Uh..." Diego paused, shaking his head slightly as he stared at the phone in shock. His brow furrowed suddenly and he stammered briefly, before continuing. "Long time. What can I do for you?" He said professionally, reaching for so e of his papers and class notes.

"Son, I wanted to..." The man began, pausing when he seemed uncertain of how to continue. "Your mother and I just saw your book." He said instead, the change of topic seeming to free his tongue.

"Oh. Okay." Diego said, his face shuttering closed in expectation. "So, you're calling to tell me you disapprove of what I wrote." He anticipated, sadness and pain converging in his eyes.

"What?" His father rasped, his confusion easy to hear, even through the warbled phone.

"Papa, I'm at work right now." Diego said firmly, shaking his head as his expression turned fierce, determined not to become an emotional wreck on his first day of teaching. "I really don't have time to-"

 _"No!"_  His father called suddenly, seeming to realise how misconstrued his call had been. "Diego, please... Just listen to me a moment!" He pleaded, as Diego bit his lip, silently waiting for his father to continue. "We didn't know you were writing a book. Nancy handed mw the paper, and it has your name on this little list."

"The New York Times Bestseller list." Diego snorted, rolling his eyes at his fathers tone of disbelief.

"Yes!" His father cried eagerly, before quickly speaking again. "And then, I watched my morning show; and they talked about you on there too!"

"Well, yeah..." Diego huffed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "It came as a pretty big shock to me too..." He confessed, before clearing his throat. "So, you haven't read it then?"

A telltale rustling of pages could be heard over the phone, before his father chuckled fondly. "Ah, here! I like this part. I want to read this aloud, son..." He said, clearing his throat as Diego frowned curiously. "'People ask me why there aren't new stories. How can film and television just go on doing variations on the same tired scenarios? I tell them to look around. Really look, with an open mind. If you look at life, you'll see the stories we've been shutting out'..."

"'And all you have to do, is let them in.'" Diego said over his father, his eyes distinctly damp as he glanced at a pair of action figures on his desk. He swivelled the heroes arms, so that their hands came together, a small smile on his lips at their sign of unity.

The voice on the phone wavered suddenly, clearly on the verge of tears. "Diego, my son, I'm sorry I never told you before..." His father said, choking briefly before clearing his throat to continue. "I am so very,  _very_  proud of you."

Diego's face fell, his emotions clear on his face as he removed his glasses and wiped his eyes. "I know, Papa. I know." He said softly, before he was obscured by white once again, and taylor found himself alone with his friend in the forest. Diego stared at him in wide eyed awe, and opened his mouth to speak, only to end up choking back a sob instead.

Taylor wrapped his arms around him tightly, and allowed his friends sorrow to slowly ebb away. "Shh." He soothed gently, as Diego fingers clutched at the back of his shirt. "It's okay, assbutt. I got you." He said, his heart light as he looked up at the cloud strewn sky with a soft grin, sniggering quietly as Diego elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

"I... I'm going to wrote a book." He finally said, his eyes wide with disbelief, as he pulled back to meet Taylors warm smile.

"A  _bestselling_  book." Taylor corrected, bumping his fist to Diego's jaw playfully. Diego snorted, wiping away his tears as he looked down at the action figures in his hands.

"Wherever Varyyn is..." Diego began, swallowing thickly against the heavy emotion which assaulted him. "I've got to trust that he can handle himself." He said reluctantly, nodding his head as if to assure himself of his own words.

"He'll come back to us, Diego." Taylor assured, sighing as the warmth on his chest radiated and pulsed, reminding him of the strange crystals Kele was collecting for them. "The Force is strong with that one."

"Yeah... It really is." Diego huffed affectionately, grinning over at Taylor gratefully. "Thanks, Taylor." He said, clapping him on the arm briefly. Taylor grinned at him and together, the two of them began walking back to the others.

As they rejoined the group, all eyes fell to Diego, and Jake tipped his head to him in acknowledgment. "Hey, Short Stuff... Holding up okay?" He asked, his brows raising when he gave a resolute nod.

"I'm still worried about Varyyn..." Diego admitted, his eyes clouded by grief for a moment, until he took a deep breath and looked up at his friends with a small smile. "But I know he'd tell keep going. So, I'm gonna."

"We'll find him as soon as we can, okay?" Quinn said, taking his arm as Kele held up the crystals and resumed their course.

Taylor hung back, letting the crystals get ahead a short ways as the warmth and lightness spread through his body. He jumped slightly when Jake's arm settled around his shoulders, before leaning into his embrace with a sigh. "So, what was that about steppin' offa cliffs, exactly?" Jake asked after a brief pause, as they slowly followed behind the others.

"Hmm, Diego was talking about the other Taylor; the bad Taylor who did stupid things." Taylor hummed, sighing contently as jake groaned and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "... It was back when we first found him, when Rourke was taking me from you all. Iris made a distraction for me, and I just...  _Pheew!"_  He said, trotting his fingers off an imaginary cliff.

"... Taylor-" Jake began, before breaking off abruptly, his jaw clenching as his arm tightened around Taylors shoulder. "When we fix all this crap, I'm locking you in somewhere."

"Hmm, where?" Taylor hummed amusedly, chuckling as he tripped over a tree root.

"I don't bloody care, just somewhere you can't step offa cliffs, dive offa high platforms, or... trip over  _goddamn_  tree roots!" The pilot sbarked, scowling as Taylor tripped and giggled again. "What the  _hell_  is with you?" He demanded, looking Taylor over carefully.

"Just... feel good." Taylor huffed, leaning up to press his lips to Jake's suddenly. The pilot hummed in surprise, but the arm about Taylors shoulder curled tighter, holding him close so Jake could extend the kiss.

"I ain't forgiven ya." Jake warned as he drew back, though his lips twitched at Taylors goofy grin. "C'mon, Boy Scout." He sighed, leading Taylor after the others.

Taylor chuckled, nudging Jake and pointing to a broken tree trunk in the distance, where he could see a pulsing blue light. "There!" Estela called, beating him to it as she too spotted the light. She ran ahead, climbing high into the tree and reaching deep inside its cracked cavity. "Got it!" She cried, climbing quickly from the tree and dropping the crystal into Kele's palm.

As all three crystals came together, Taylor gasped, his warmth and good feelings brusquely brushed aside by strong nausea and a sharp pain in his head. He backed away, trembling as he slipped from Jake's grasp quickly, and rushed behind the nearest tree. As the three crystals shone brighter than ever, Taylor retched, his heart lurching when he saw a familiar green gunk at the foot of the trees trunk.

Suddenly, the nausea passed, as the crystals turned dull. Taylor turned and sagged against the tree, looking up when Jake's hand brushed over his brow in concern. "You okay?" He asked, as Taylor smiled softly.

"Better now." He said evasively, gently taking the pilots hand and pressing a small kiss to his fingers, before leading him over to the rest of the group.

"Did we break them?" Craig asked, biting his lip as he looked at the three crystal shards in Kele's hand.

"I guess a game of hot and cold, is too simple..." Sean sighed, running a hand over his hair in frustration.

"Think it through," Taylor said calmly, gesturing towards the now dark crystals, though still not daring to touch them. "Remember the last thing the Vaanti told us?"

" _You will see, in time_." Quinn recalled, her eyes running over taylor worriedly, as he nodded and winked at her reassuringly.

"Maybe, that means something else..?" Michelle hedged cautiously, thinking of the other times they'd had to solve puzzles and riddles to get anywhere.

"So, let's try looking  _through_  them." He said, tipping his chin towards Diego, who gulped but reached for a crystal and held it up to his eye cautiously.

"Whoa! You guys have got to see this!" Diego gasped, as he looked through the crystal shard. Taylor narrowed his eyes, as the others looked through the shards and marvelled at the sights they saw. Diego held up his crystal before Taylor, his brows raised in query, as Taylor peered through without getting too close. He breathed a light gasp of awe, at the sight of light refracting in the crystal, revealing time rifts and trails which hadn't been there before.

 _"Triiiipy!"_  Raj cried, looking through first one shard, and then another.

"Hmm, we're still stuck though..." Taylor huffed, scratching his neck awkwardly as he bit his lip. "It'll take days to explore all of these trails... We must need all three foe something specific."

Taylor had barely finished speaking, when Zahra , and began snatching the crystals from peoples hands. She qui klt stacked them together, and squinted into the overlapping area. "There it is!" She cried, pointing ahead of them. "I see it!" Taylor shifted to peek through over her shoulder, to see that among the trails, a path illuminated by light stood out.

"Heh, lead on, Snape!" He sniggered, as Zahra rolled her eyes at him. Using the crystals as a guide, they finally began to make headway through the forest, following behind Zahra as she led them forward.

After an hour of hiking, the heavy clouds cleared, to reveal dusk had fallen, and the stars were beginning to come out. Up ahead, a gargantuan tree city loomed out of the surrounding forest.

Raj stopped in his tracks at the sight. "Are we in Oz?" He demanded, staring at the strange, and oddly mechanical looking tree.

"Let's just hope the Munchkins have whatever we need to get to Rourke." Jake snorted, his hand slipping into Taylors.

As they approached the city, a steady thump of dance music reached their ears. Craig and Raj bobbed their heads appreciatively, as Taylor began to wiggle his hips and shuffle his steps, grinning up at Jake when the pilot rolled his eyes at him, though his lips twitched with affection.

"Oh, snap... That's a sick beat." Craig sighed, as he and Raj high fived.

"Dude, that  _drop_  though!" Raj cried, his eyes wide as he listened to the lively tune.

"Are we sure this is the right place..?" Quinn asked, eyeing the tree dubiously, just as a pair of Vaanti rushed oast them, running for the tree.

 _"Woooo!"_  A female with spiky pink hair cheered ecstatically, throwing her arms in the air as she raced against the other Vaanti eagerly.

" _Yabai! Pari pi!"_  The male called, before glancing back at their grip, a merry grin in his eyes, though the lower half of his face was hidden by a bandana. "Come to crash our party, outsiders?"

"And if we did?" Taylor giggled, swishing his hips and bumping them into Jake's, trying to tempt him to dance; and only succeeding in making him laugh.

"Then I'd say you're more than welcome here." The Vaanti called back, as the spiky haired female produced a small metal disc, and proceeded to twist it in her hands.

Taylor gasped, his dancing forgotten, as a time rift opened around them, and he found himself falling through space.  _"Wooooo!"_  He cheered, laughing in awe as he tried to see the strands of time weaving around him.

 _"Wha-"_  Diego gasped, as everyone landed on a wooden platform high above the forest floor with a solid thud. Taylor laughed as his friends immediately covered their ears with their hands, slowly adjusting to the even louder music.

 _"Oof!"_  Raj huffed, grimacing as he fell to his knees, only to have Craig land on his back and knock him forward.

 _"Hey!"_  Jake growled, scowling at the Vaanti, as he landed in a heap beside Taylor, who did nothing to help but gleefully laughed harder. He looked up as the two Vaanti alighted with catlike grace, watching in fascination as the rift wavered and faded over their heads.

"It's not an Anachronist party without a crash!" Cheered the spikey haired female, high fiving her companion smugly.

"So, you're the ones making all of the portals?" Taylor asked eagerly, his heart racing with excitement as he thought of finally finding some answers for his bizarre abilities with time.

"Hm?" Hummed the male Vaanti in confusion, before cocking his head I sudden understanding. "Oh, right. Rifts are only just starting to appear in this time..." He said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Where we come from, outsider, fractures in the facade you call reality are everywhere." The female explained warmly, her golden eyes glowing with joy at returning to Quarr'tel. "We've simply learned how to make use of them."

"Gonna stop you right there, Team Rocket." Jake said, holding up his hands to them both. "We're here to find a way into Rourke's compound, not trade riddles." He scoffed, scowling as the Vaanti sniggered at him.

"Hey, enjoy the party!" The male encouraged, gesturing towards where the music seemed to be originating from. "It's bound to be more interesting than anything you've seen in your monochronological life." He said, as the pair began to laugh uproariously.

"Yo, check it!" Craig sniggered, as Jake scowled at the Vaanti in frustration. "Jake just got played for a fool bg a dude with purple hair!"

The masked female chuckled, as she leaned closer to Craig. "Time is broken. If you've failed to realize that, it's you who are the fool." She said,before the two promptly turned and sauntered off together down a catwalk.

"The hell do they think they are?" Craig sneered, scowling after them petulantly, as Zahra snickered quietly.

Raj ignored their drama, peerig over the edge of the platform. "Guys... Do  _not_  look down!" He advised a moment later, drawing back with a faint tinge of green fo his cheeks.

Diego immediately looked over himself, and gasped as he drew back from the edge by several steps. "We must be at least a mile up!" He cried, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Actually, Insane Clown Posse over there did us a favour..." Jake mused, looking around thoughtfully. "Now, we only have to worry about getting down." Taylor exchanged a grin with Jake, before looking around curiously. His expression faltered, and withered, as he caught sight of a familiar hunched figure on a nearby platform.

"Uqzhaal..!" He gasped, hos heart clenching painfully, as the shaman scowled and dicked into a door of a jumbled structure, perched among the leafless branches.

"He didn't look too happy to see us..." Quinn said, her eyes wide at the shamans reaction.

"Not  _you."_  Taylor said quietly, glancing over at them shamefully.  _"Me."_  He muttered, clenching his jaw against the fierce jab of pain which struck his heart at the Vaanti's rejection.

"Oh, Taylor..." Quinn sighed, her hand resting at his elbow comfortingly, as she leaned her head to his. "He put a great deal of his life onto following The Endless... He doesn't hate  _you,_  he just-"

"Yes. He  _does,_  Quinn." Taylor sighed, flashing a brief and guilt ridden smile, before breaking free of her gentle hold. "And that's fine. I don't blame him. I'm just... I'm glad I was lucky, in that, you guys don't too."

"Well, either way, he must have some clout with these Vaanti to be here." Estela reasoned, glancing at Taylor uncertainly.

"Yeah," he sighed, smiling weakly as Jake stepped up beside him and silently took his hand. "We should find him... But, you guys should probably talk to him without me." He said, leading the others after the Uqzhaal quickly.

As they crowded through the door the shaman had ducked into, they winced; as neon lights, strobes and what appeared to be gas lanterns, all illuminated a dance floor filled with Vaanti. At one side, a DJ was changing records, on a trio of antique phonographs. A Vaanti carrying a tray approached them, pausing as he looked them over with his one visible eye. "Outsiders? You shouldn't be here." He said, shaking his head at them.

"Wait..." Taylor said, frowning as he gazed at the oddly attired Vaanti. "Didn't we see you in the forest?" He asked, recalling the clashing clothes vividly.

"Entirely beside the point." The Vaanti said firmly, his brow creasing slightly beneath his strange mask. "The Party Before the End has rules, and unless you're here to partake and participate, we'll have to-"

"Uh, yeah!" Taylor said quickly, cutting the Vaanti off as he painted a large grin on his face, and swayed his hips to the beat. "We're here to have fun!" He said, laughing as Craig fist pumped the air.

"Hell yes!" The jock cheered, shaking his ass and kicking his feet to the beat. "Let's get it  _poppin'!"_  He crowed, promptly ignoring everyone as he drifted away slightly and focused on his dancing.

The Vaanti eyed them distrustfully fhouch his prosthetic face plate, before finally extending his tray, loaded with strange concoctions. "Pick your poison." He said slowly, as Taylor stopped his wiggling to examine the drinks curiously.

He snorted at the cup of tea, thinking of Aleister and how the pale boy would hardly look amiss, deinking tea in such a place. He raised a brow as he looked at the burning drink, glancing at Jake to find him watching him with interest. He shook his head and picked up a strange looking drink, which appeared to be dripping.

"Urgh, you're really gonna drink  _that?"_  Michelle grimaced, shaking her head in disgust."Don't come crawling to me when you get sick tomorrow." She sniffed, averting her eyes as Taylor sniffed at it thoughtfully.

"Check it out!" Croag yelled from a short distance away, laughing as he threw Taylor two thumbs up. "Taylors got an iron stomach!" The jock cheered gleefully.

"... I think that's the stuff we drank from the roots under Elyys'tel!" Raj said suddenly, his eyes wide as he looked down at the drink.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, lifting the lid, and immediately recognizing the metallic liquid contained within. "Heh, that stuff made for a wild ride..." He said quietly, glancing meaningfully at Jake, whose eyes blazed with realization. "Its definitely the same weird sap. But, Quarr'tel's tree looked pretty dead from the outside..." He said, debating briefly, before taking the smallest sip he possibly could, before returning it to the tray.

After offering drinks to the others, the Vaanti nodded and turned away to replenish his tray. Zahra swigged an entire beer, and then slammed her bottle down on a nearby table. "So far, this ain't half bad! If you don't include Craig's dancing..." She said, sniggering at the jocks outraged expression.

"Jumanji should stick out like a sire thumb here," Jake said thoughtfully, scanning the crowded room as he slowly sipped at a whiskey. "But I don't see him."

Taylor made his way over to the DJ, leaning close, as a faint swirl of dizziness swept through his head. "Excuse me, have you seen-" he began determinedly, pushing the feeling aside.

"Not now." The Vaanti said, cutting him off abruptly, as Taylor sniffed and scowled at his rudeness.

"Oh. Sorry." He said roughly, clearing his throat as a headache began to form behind his eyes from the consistent loud music. "I'll wait until the end of your set."

"Not later. Not earlier... All time, _all the time!_ " The Vaanti cried, as the crowd cheered on response. Several Vaanti raised their arms, and danced even harder, giving into the pulsating beat. The DJ suddenly stared into the crowd in astonishment, freezing in place. The music faded, causing murmurs of confusion.

Taylor followed his gaze, and his heart sank, as he saw a masked Uqzhaal, climbing onto a platform. "Anachronists, heed my words!" The old shaman called loudly, his tone coloured with a hatred which cut deeply into Taylor. "Our kind, all of us... We have been  _betrayed!"_

"Uqzhaal..." Taylor murmured, trying to focus on the shaman, only for his dizziness to return, the room beginning to spin and become hazy around him.

"Yo, I think somethin' was in those drinks..." Craig said, looking over at Taylor worriedly, and quickly checking Zahra over.

"The Endless  _lied_  to us for hundreds of years, while secretly absorbing the power of Vaanu!" Uqzhaal growled, as Taylor shook his head and stumbled backwards against the DJ's decks.

"What? How do you know this?" Demanded the female with spikey hair, who'd helped them into the city.

"... Because I have heard The Endless confess it, to an alternate version of himself..." Uqzhaal snarled, levelling a gnarled finger at Taylor. "If you don't believe me, ask  _him!"_  He sneered, as the gathered Vaanti turned towards Taylor, bewilderment and contempt on their faces.

"Wait a minute..!" Taylor slurred, shaking his head to try and clear the fuzzy haze from his vision. "I-" Before he could begin to explain himself however, colours and shapes began to swim nauseatingly across his vision.  _"Ughhh..."_  He groaned quietly, as he found himself tumbling to the floor, blacking out just before impact. A final desperate cry reverberated through him as he slipped away, haunting him as it chased him into the dark emptiness.

" _Boy Scout_!"


	6. The Ties That Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, i am literally about to head out he door - but i just finished this in time so i figured it will be worth beig a few minutes later to post it... 
> 
> I enjoyed this one so much more - but my phone is startong to play up pretty bad, so... i may end up taking longer to update if that dies... i hope it doesnt... but hey, warnings and all.
> 
> I hope you all have wonderful days/nights and know youre all amazing - and its your awesome sypport which has gotten me this far xxxx
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_Near death experience, totally not my fault by the way, check. Crazy ass plan to break into secret military base and free friends and steal a magical crystal, double check._

_I hate Rourke's secret bases, they're always full of people who wanna try and kill us... Jokes on them though, I guess. Ooh, one more point for my list though..._

_Get screwed over by Rourke, self centered bastard of the universe; Check_.

**6.**

**The Ties That Break**.

Taylor awoke with a start, his heart racing as he fought his way back from the tempting, dark sea of unconsciousness. "Huh?!" He gasped, panic setting in briefly as he found himself seated in an overstuffed chair, in a room filled with strange objects. Piano music spilt from a boom box, as somewhere nearby, a clock ticked away the passage of its slow, monotonous life. His head pounded furiously as his breath came quickly as he swivelled his head around, in confusion, until he caught sight of something known amongst all the strangeness. Jake was leaning against the wall with his arms folded, watching him intently.

"You alright there, Boy Scout?" He asked, stepping away from the wall quickly to crouch by Taylors side. "You scared the goddamn crap outta me..." The pilot huffed, as he reached for Taylors hand and gripped it tightly.

"I'm a little groggy... And I think my head hates me." Taylor grumbled thickly, squeezing Jake's hand weakly. "But, I'll live." He said, leaning forward slightly to rest his head to Jake's affectionately, only to groan when his headache spiked. "Okay, bad...  _Bad,_  Taylor... No moving." He mumbled pathetically, as Jake huffed lightly and eased him back in the chair with gentle hands.

Nearby, a female Vaanti with light pink hair, was leaning over a worktable. She set down her tools and turned, examining him through an elaborate pair of goggles, making him squirm beneath her intense gaze. "Well, well..." She said, sounding remarkably pleased to see him awake. "Still functioning." She said, tipping her head curiously as she continued to study him.

"Oh god," Taylor groaned, suddenly recalling Uqzhaal's accusations before the world fell away from him. "Look... I'm not The Endless!" He protested, biting his lip as his heart lurched rapidly. "I didn't have anything to do with betraying the Vaanti, or-" he rambled, before breaking off with a sudden frown. "Wait... What's still functioning?" He asked worriedly, glancing around himself nervously.

"Taylor, calm the hell down and stop being ridiculous." Jake said lightly, frowning in concern as he felt Taylors racing pulse. "Just trust me, and calm down...  _Breathe."_

"Your internal clock." The Vaanti explained, watching him in fascination through her antique looking goggles. "Woke you up at just the right moment." She said, reaching over to switch off the boom box. Taylors headache blissfully receded as the piano music cut out, though it still lurked in the recesses of his mind, a dull ache which continued to pulse faintly. "You'll find that most of us aren't too interested in The Endless, or the Catalysts... You had a hand in our story, certainly, but for us; that was quite long ago." She explained, as Taylor grimaced and reached up to rub at his head, wincing when he felt the small bump, still sore from his fall.

"What the heck was in that drink..?" He groaned, as Jake gently drew his hand away from his head, his clear eyes clouded by concern and lingering fear.

"Liquefied time crystal." The Vaanti said ominously, shaking her head briefly. "Harmless to us, but extremely toxic to others. Seems that shaman had it out for you." She said, as Taylor flinched and swallowed heavily, his heart clenching painfully as he realised the depth of Uqzhaal's hatred for him. The Vaanti leaned closer, flicking magnifying lenses over her goggles. "No further symptoms other than grogginess, though. You're very lucky, or perhaps...  _different."_  She hummed thoughtfully, as Taylors heart lurched violently; his desperate desire to deny the opinion driving him to lash out.

"Hey, back off!" He growled, trying to squirm past Jake in his effort to escape the Vaanti's magnified, speculative gaze. "I didn't come here for a physical." He snarked, as Jake set his hands on Taylors shoulders and gave quiet reassurances of his safety, frowning at his forceful reaction.

"No, you came seeking help.  _Our_  help." The Vaanti said, leaning back in her chair slowly, as Taylors heart flipped, his struggles ceasing as he turned to the Vaanti in surprise; wondering how she could know of his questions about time manipulation. "With the Islands Heart... Your friend Zahra told us." She clarified, cocking her head curiously at his huff of disappointment, before he gasped in sudden realisation.

"Zahra?! Where is she?" He asked, looking around frantically for his friends. "Where is  _everyone?!"_

"Easy, easy, Boy Scout! They're all  _fine,_  they're  _here!"_  Jake assured quickly, gripping Taylors hands rightly and capturing his gaze firmly. "They're close by... Just spent the night somewhere else." He explained, as Taylor grimaced and freed a hand to run it through his hair, trying to dislodge himself from the strange carousel of emotions he found himself on.

"Fortunately, no one else consumed what you did." The Vaanti said cheerfully, turning away to tinker with a small clock on the table before her.

"Thank god for small miracles..." Taylor sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he looked at Jake in relief.

"That would be you wakin' up." Jake clarified quietly, as he squeezed Taylors hand and drew it to his lips, his own relief tangible in the air between them.

Taylor huffed a small chuckle, his free hand dropping to the pilots hair and dragging through the shaggy strands affectionately. "I always do." He sighed, flashing a small grin at his pilot, as Jake huffed and lowered his head to Taylors lap, muttering incoherently. Taylor swallowed thickly, glancing back at the Vaanti reluctantly. "And... Uqzhaal?" He asked, his heart twisting in grief as the Vaanti shrugged unconcernedly.

"On his way to Mount Atropo to stop The Endless, I presume." She said dismissively, looking back at him thoughtfully. "I did point out to him, that one cannot be held accountable for the actions of an alternate self. Oh..." She paused suddenly, her barely visible cheeks seeming to darken slightly in embarrassment. "You're probably wanting a name to call me. Clockmaker will do." She said, as Jake snorted and raised his head from Taylors lap, looking over at her with a cocky grin.

"What's Jumanji gonna do, beat up Moon Man with his stick?" He scoffed, as Taylor tried to absorb everything he'd heard. He felt strangely grateful to the strange Vaanti, her reassurance that she'd spoken in his favour making him frown in confusion, even as his heart lightened in relief.

"I'm afraid..." The Clockmaker hedged, her pointed ears twitching slightly as she toyed with her clock guiltily. "His words managed to inspire a few of us who'd grown restless..."

"Restless?" Taylor asked, shaking himself from his thoughts, as he raised a brow at her. "About being trapped in the past?" He wondered aloud, frowning when she chuckled quietly.

"Restless, while waiting for Vaanu to depart." She explained gently, sighing wistfully as she looked up at the ceiling briefly.

"I'm... not sure I follow." Taylor said slowly, exchanging a confused glance with Jake, before looking back at The Clockmaker.

"We don't simply revel for hedonism's sake, you see." She chuckled fondly, her shoulders seeming to almost quiver in excitement. "It's a farewell party... At some point, an eventuality may occur, where Vaanu is finally able to continue on it's journey." She explained, as a hollow pit began to form in Taylors gut. "Then, at long last, our party will end."

"You mean..." Taylor said thickly, gently but firmly pushing Jake back from his lap as he slipped from the chair, beginning to pace nervously around the small area. "Does this have to do with that ghost?" He mumbled, narrowing his eyes as he half talked to himself, muttering as he stalked back and forth across the room. "We've seen some sort of spirit, a glowing figure. It... it tries to help us." He said, chaffing at his arms as if they were cold, twitching with nervous energy coursing through him.

"Indeed?" The Clockmaker gasped, her eyes wide behind her huge goggles, as she slowly shook her head in disbelief. "Vaanu has  _rarely_  shown itself to us..." She said, gesturing to the ceiling as she moved her hand slowly in emphasis of her words. "Stories speak of a bright light, and visions... A faceless angel, guiding those in need..." She said reverently.

"That's our guy." Jake said, his eyes wide as he got to his feet, though his expression quickly morphed into a scowl at Taylors awkward fidgeting.

"Okay, but..." Taylor huffed, almost desperate as he shook his head and waved his finger briefly. "I still don't understand why it would want to help us..."

"Perhaps Vaanu is hoping you might help it in return..." The Clockmaker said thoughtfully, her shoulders slumping dejectedly.

Taylor felt a great claw of fear drag across his heart, the wounds immediately festering as he vehemently shook his head and backed away to crash into the nearest wall. "Hey, what the  _hell-"_  Jake choked, as Taylor covered his face with his hands and continued to shake his head. The pilot hurried to draw him away from the wall and into his arms, his eyes widening as he felt Taylors body trembling. "What-"

"Can't...  _Can't..."_  Taylor whispered, shivering as he buried himself in the comforting embrace of his pilot, smothering his fear with affection for the other man, and shoving it firmly to the deepest parts of his mind.

The clock he'd heard began to sound the hour, it's loud gong echoing through the room and startling Taylor. He jerked back from Jake's embrace, wiping at his eyes quickly and shaking his head as he cleared his throat. "I... uh, sorry." He coughed, taking a deep breath as he looked around the room blearily, confused and embarrassed by his outburst.

"Taylor-" Jake began, hesitating when Taylor shook his head firmly, frowning at his strange behaviour.

"I can't explain it, Jake. I was just..." He said, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair and watched the bespectacled Vaanti, as she delicately turned back the hour hand on her small desk clock. "I was just overwhelmed. Must be left over from the thingy... You know, in the... thing."

"Liquefied time crystal." The Clockmaker supplied helpfully, as Taylor gestured towards her and clicked his fingers. "In your drink."

"Yes.  _That."_  He said, nodding his head firmly. "Left over weirdness from...  _that."_  He said awkwardly, before closing the distance between himself and the pilot, resting his forehead to his shoulder gently. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, nuzzling Jake's jaw lightly as the pilot sighed and drew him closer.

"Just..." He huffed, hesitating briefly before sighing and rubbing Taylors shoulders affectionately. "I got you, you know that... I won't let anythin' like this happen again, I promise." He promised quietly, brushing his lips over Taylors hairline, before drawing back and turning towards The Clockmaker as she chuckled quietly.

"Well, you're certainly a more  _dramatic_  bunch than I'd have expected..." She said, watching their reactions in fascination. "As for  _me,"_  she said abruptly, shaking her head as she cleared her throat thoughtfully. "I can get you into Rourke's facility, in exchange for an answer. To one, simple, question..." She said, her goggled gaze locking onto Taylor.

"This oughta be good." Jake snorted, rolling his eyes as he withdrew from their embrace, his fingers trailing over Taylors as he stepped back slightly.

The Clockmaker crossed the room to sit in the odd looking chair at the center of the room, folding her arms casually, as she peered at Taylor intently. "What is time?" She asked at last, and Taylor could feel the tense coil of anticipation, radiating from the waiting Vaanti.

"Seriously?" Jake scoffed, his eyes wide as he glanced at Taylor in disbelief, before returning to stare at the Vaanti in shock.

"Like..." Taylor hedged, shifting awkwardly as a strange sense of ominous importance settled over him. "The abstract concept of time?" He asked, frowning as she nodded eagerly.

"Yes." She said quickly, leaning forward in her chair slightly. "What does it mean... to  _you?"_  She asked pointedly, raising a finger in cautious warning. "Answer carefully."

Taylor swallowed heavily, glancing at Jake as the pilot shrugged unhelpfully, sensing the Vaanti's keenness for Taylors answer. "Time is..." He said hesitantly, licking his lips as a warm flush crept through him, irrational fear of the simple question fogging his mind and making it hard for him to focus on his answer.  _What is it? Inevitable... Nothing but a convenient excuse, for how we fail to live our lives to the fullest? Or, something more..?_  As Taylor thought, he bit his lip, a slow tendril of certainty beginning to twist through his gut.  _Time is everything... It's what we've shared, what we will share. It's everything we've been through so far, and have to go through yet. Time is._.. He thought, slowly raising his eyes to The Clockmaker. "... The soul of the universe. It touches everything, and everyone." He said slowly, the fear in his gut abating, solidifying into a calm certainty.

 _"So!_  You feel as I do!" The Clockmaker breathed joyfully, her posture straightening as she stared at him in jubilant awe. "Despite the difficulty of surviving in an era ravaged by tine distortion, we Anachronists believe that our universe is a benevolent one." She explained eagerly, her cheeks suffused with colour as she gazed at Taylor fondly.

Taylor shifted uncomfortably, but grinned as Jake sidled closer, the pilot frowning at the intense gaze which The Clockmaker had fixed Taylor with. His heart skipped a beat, and he snickered lightly, as the pilot slid his hand into Taylors and laced their fingers together, pointedly making a show of the display.

"It sent us Vaanu, without whom we would be adrift." The Clockmaker continued, her jubilant gaze never faltering for their show of affection. "It gave us  _time,_  without which, everything would happen at once."

"I guess..." Taylor said slowly, as she sighed wistfully. He glanced at Jake, who snorted and squeezed his hand, before he turned back to the strange Vaanti. "That is,  _one_  way of looking at it..."

"Yes." The Clockmaker sighed happily, before clearing her throat suddenly, seeming to snap herself from her reverie. "Now, regarding The Islands Heart..." She said, standing to open a sliding metal door, and beckoning them to follow her. Taylor took a deep breath, sharing an amused look with Jake, before the pilot tugged him after the Vaanti. He blinked, raising his free hand to cover his sensitive eyes, as he emerged into hazy daylight. Anachronist Vaanti were carousing amid the outer platforms and walkways of Quarr'tel, but it was two familiar faces which first drew his focus, as relief and excitement bubbled in his chest.

"Taylor!" Zahra cheered, wide eyed as she watched him emerge from The Clockmakers quarters in disbelief. He grinned and waved at her goofily, sniggering at her obvious inebriation. "It's Taylor!  _...hic!"_  She hiccupped, a grin spreading across her face as she and Craig wandered over to join them drunkenly.

"Yo, you've got the hiccups again." Craig sorted in amusement, jabbing her in the arm lightly, as he sniggered fondly.

"No I...  _hic..._  don't!" Zahra scowled, shoving him playfully, and laughing when he lost his balance and he began wind-milling his arms.

"Wow... You guys have been up partying all night, haven't you?" Taylor sniggered knowingly, looking over the dishevelled pair fondly, as they stared at each other blankly, before they broke out giggling.

"Taylor knows us too well, he's not even surprised..." Zahra sniggered, beaming a wide and proud grin at him, as he bumped his fist to hers.

"Oh crap, Z, don't look, but there's a mouse by your foot!" Craig yelped suddenly, his eyes wide as he pointed to Zahra's heavy boots.

 _"What?!"_  Zahra gasped, and immediately disregarded Craig's advice, as she began searching the ground.  _"Where?!"_  She demanded, twirling in an unsteady circle.

 _"Boom."_  Craig snorted, laughing at Zahra's attempts to find the sneaky mouse. "Hiccups  _cured."_  He said smugly, as Zahra scowled in realisation and punched his arm firmly.

Taylor sighed, looking up at Jake with an entirely unconvincing pout. "Why can _I_  never just get drunk?" He complained with a snigger, as his pilot snorted at him.

"Boy Scout, you don't need to get drunk. You just get yourself a concussion." He said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "You're plenty dangerous enough sober."

"I miss all the fun stuff..." Taylor mumbled, grinning at Zahra and Craig as they fought playfully. "It's all 'save the world' and 'get poisoned'." He groused, as Jake leaned down and brushed his lips against Taylors ear.

"I remember you bein' drunk once." He murmured, and Taylor shivered at the feel of the pilots lips dipping to graze his throat. "Seem to recall you made me an offer... after you almost drowned yaself..."

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, smiling as he curled his free hand into Jake's hair. "I seem to recall,  _you_  turned me down..."

"Hardest damn thing I ever did..." Jake murmured, trailing his nose along Taylors jaw. Taylor bit his lip, attempting to tramp down on the surge of desire which tried to rise in his gut.

"Jake..." Taylor warned, his eyes meeting the pilots as he withdrew enough to skim his lips over Taylors with a cocky grin. Just as he was about to give in to the teasing, he caught sight of movement, and saw Michelle walk out of a nearby building, rubbing her temples wearily.

"How does anyone sleep around here with all this  _noise?"_  She demanded grumpily, as Taylor yelped and squirmed away from Jake's impending kiss.

"It's not 'noise'." Said the Vaanti who'd been acting as DJ, before Taylors world had turned black. "It's EDM." He corrected, a scowl marring his brow above his bandana.

"Whatever." Michelle snarked, glaring at the Vaanti, until she caught sight of them.  _"Taylor!"_  She cried, darting over and grabbing hold of his arms to look him over intently, as Taylor glanced at Jake and bit his lip guiltily.

"Um..." He hedged, before the blonde threw her arms around him and drew him into a tight hug, as several of the others emerged from the same building.

"Morning, Taylor." Kele said, grinning broadly as Quinn squealed and raced over to join Michelle in throwing her arms around Taylor, who looked towards Jake again nervously.

"Hey, doodlebombers..." Raj called, waving at them before he promptly laid down in the sun and closed his eyes, falling back asleep almost instantly, as Taylor laughed at him.

"Taylor... Is there ever gonna be a day where you  _don't_  scare us?" Quinn sighed, resting her head on his shoulder, as Michelle drew back to scowl at him.

"I  _told_  you not to drink that thing!" She fumed, her eyes narrowing when he opened his mouth to protest, before wisely clicking his jaw shut again without speaking. "Fine, I voiced my disapproval. That should have been enough though!" She huffed, flicking his wrist briefly, before leaning against him again. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you..." She murmured quietly, looking down at the ground, as Taylors heart overflowed with affection and love for his friends.

"Okay, lay off the emotional drama. He's enough of a mess without you adding any more sap." Jake snarked, squeezing Taylors hand as he leaned away to give the girls some space to reassure themselves of Taylors safety.

"Oh, right... Like  _you_  were any better!" Michelle scoffed, scowling at the pilot as his cheeks tinged with colour.

"Yeah,  _you're_  the one who was gonna-" Quinn began, only to break off into giggles as Jake blushed and began to cough loudly, pointedly drowning her out.

"Sorry, what was that Quinn?" Taylor asked, grinning at his pilot wickedly as he glanced over at him. When Quinn didn't respond, he looked back, only to find her biting her lip worriedly.

"You  _are_  okay, right Taylor?" She asked, as Taylors gaze softened, his heart warming from the redheads show of concern.

"I'm okay,  _now."_  He assured, tipping his head forward to meet hers gently for a moment, before chuckling and shooing them both away. "C'mon, now... To stay okay, I need to be able to breathe." He snorted, as he kissed their cheeks and then drew back to hide behind Jake.

"Taylor, when you're ready, I can open a rift here in Quarr'tel." The Clockmaker interjected, as Quinn and Michelle re-joined the others. "It'll take you directly to Rourke's compound beneath the Observatory, going back to a time before he'd expect you to arrive."

"Oh  _whaaat..._  I like this already!" Craig cheered, beaming s huge grin around them all, as Taylor stepped closer to The Clockmaker.

"Um... how do you do that exactly?" He asked innocently, gesturing around them vaguely. "Open time rifts, I mean..?" He pressed, biting his lip as he filled with excitement.

"Over the years we've adapted the materials we find to bend the fractures of time to our advantage." She explained, producing a small device and showing it to him. "We use  _these_  to adapt rifts, allowing us to effectively travel through time." She said, as Taylor flinched in disappointment.

"So, you can't... manipulate time itself?" He asked, averting his gaze to where Raj was softly snoring, while Craig and Zahra giggled and drew on his arms. "You can't, tamper with its speed or, create the actual rifts themselves?"

The Clockmaker looked at him piercingly for a moment, her goggles clicking between lenses slowly as she considered his request. "It is widely believed that only Vaanu and The Endless possess the ability to truly control time, to bend it to their whim..." She said quietly, her brow creasing slightly as she hesitated.  _"We_  will not ever manipulate the flow of time freely... But there are those who believe that with enough study, focus and time; they could achieve the same abilities..."

Taylor frowned, sighing as he shook his head despondently.  _Time is the one thing none of us have anymore_... He thought, glancing around his awaiting friends as he bit his lip. As his eyes passed over Jake, he noticed the pilots curiously raised brow, and cleared his throat abruptly, turning back to The Clockmaker hastily. "Uh, so... You're going to help us?" He asked, blurting out the first thing he thought of. "Just for answering a question?"

"That question matters much more than you may realize..." The Clockmaker said ominously, sending a shiver of concern up Taylors spine. "As does The Islands Heart."

"Taylor, Taylor,  _Taylor!"_  Zahra gasped, waving her arms frantically, as she stated at him with excited wide eyes. "If you're gonna be a freaking time ninja, you've  _gotta_  change your look..." She said eagerly, depositing a pile of clothing in his arms. "I grabbed some  _sick_  gear last night. Put these on!"

Taylor rolled his eyes, grumbling as The Clockmaker gestured towards her quarters for him to change. He set off to change, and heard the door close behind him, a grin immediately tugging at his lips as he turned to find Jake leaning against the wall watching him. "More pay per view?" He sniggered, as Jake winked at him and slowly pushed off the wall.  _"Jaaake..."_  Taylor warned, trying and failing not to laugh as his pilot crowded him to The Clockmakers desk. "No, bad Top Gun! We are on a schedule!" He sniggered, as Jake tugged at the hem of his shirt and drew it over his head.

"Hey, I'm just lending the use of my two helpin' hands..." Jake snickered quietly, his hands ghosting over Taylors sides as he leaned closer and brushed his lips over Taylors shoulder.

"Uh huh... Yeah I know  _just_  what your two helping hands are up to." Taylor snorted, biting his lip as Jake's hands gripped his ass suddenly, easily lifting him to sit on The Clockmakers desk. "Jake-"

"Taylor," Jake breathed, closing the distance between them. "Shut up." He murmured softly, sealing his lips over Taylors as he hummed and giggled in acquiescence.

Taylors world spun, a kaleidoscope of emotions parading through him as he felt Jake's firm hands slowly divest him of his clothes, trailing over his bared skin as the pilot kissed him deeply. When Jake drew back, his eyes meeting Taylors only briefly, before following the soft touches of his fingers, Taylor bit his lip; entranced by the pilots intent focus, as if committing his body to memory. His heart raced in his chest, desire pooling in his gut, as Jake's clear eyes ran over his arms, to each of his fingers, as they laced together with the pilots slowly.

Taylor bit his lip, as Jake's fingers grazed his chest, pausing briefly as he felt Taylors rapid heartbeat. "So many times I almost lost you..." Jake said quietly, his words startling Taylor out of the intimate haze he'd lost himself to.

"You'll never lose me." Taylor promised just as quietly, raising their linked hands to kiss the pilots fingers, drawing Jake's tormented gaze up to meet his own certain one. "I'm the proverbial bad penny. You can't get rid of me now, even if you tried... You're stuck with me." He said cockily, lowering his gaze and grinning coyly, as he curled his legs around the pilots and gently drew him closer.

"Heh," Jake scoffed, cupping his cheek as he shook his head fondly. "Tell that to the me who saw ya collapse last night... Taylor-"

"I'm okay, Top Gun..." Taylor assured, pressing the pilots hand to his heart again, letting him feel the hurried beat beneath his skin.  _"See?_  Don't think about the past, or what might've been... Just, think about  _now."_  Taylor said, arching closer to the pilot as he skimmed his lips over Jake's teasingly. "Like, how  _you're_ dressed... and  _I'm_ not." He whispered, laughing quietly as Jake hung his head, resting it lightly atop his shoulder.

"Don't tempt me, Taylor..." Jake warned, nipping his shoulder sharply, before pulling back with a sigh and grabbing Taylors new clothes. "Shut up." He said with a preemptive snort, as Taylor pouted at Jake slowly dressing him.

"I can dress myself, you realize this?" Taylor snorted a short while later, lifting his hips off the desk to allow Jake to raise his new trousers.

"Hmm, you do it too quick though." Jake murmured, winking at him as Taylor rolled his eyes in fond exasperation.

"So what, this is some sorta, reverse, sexy strip tease, for you?" Taylor scoffed, as Jake laughed quietly. "And  _I'm_  the ridiculous one..." He murmured, shaking his head as he watched Jake's skillful fingers deftly loop his new belt.

"Maybe, I just wanted to appreciate the view awhile." Jake hummed, a small smile gracing his lips as he leaned in and kissed his way along Taylors collarbone.

"Hmm, well your 'view appreciating' is driving me nuts." Taylor muttered darkly, arching as the pilot slid his hand over his spine slowly.  _"Jaaake..!"_  He complained, leaning up to press a hungry, open mouthed kiss to the pilots throat.

"Hmm..." Jake hummed, his maddeningly light touches continuing to drift across Taylors skin, slowly unravelling his restraint. "Guess I could be persuaded to-"

"Jake, I know you love the sound of your own voice;  _I_  love the sound of your voice, but can you please stop using it to  _talk?"_  Taylor groused impatiently, tugging at Jake's jacket insistently.

Jake snickered, leaning down to capture Taylors lips in a deep kiss, drawing a relieved moan from him as he arched up against the pilot eagerly. As Jake's tongue stroked against his own, Taylor felt himself struck by need, and he parted his legs wider as he shifted closer to the edge of the desk, drawing Jake flush against him. He groaned, as Jake's hands drifted back to his hips, curling tightly into the flesh as Taylor eagerly arched and rocked against him.

"Hey, are you-  _oh..."_  Taylor growled, frustration twisting his expression into a scowl as he turned towards the door, which had been pulled open by a guilty looking Diego. "Oh,  _man..._  Why is it always me?" He complained, raising a hand to cover his eyes, the sound of giggling erupting from just outside the door.

"C'mon, Boy Scout." Jake snickered, grabbing his new shirt and tossing it playfully at his head, as he cleared his throat. "We're on a  _schedule."_  The pilot coughed, trying hard to hide his large grin as Taylor pulled the shirt off his face, and his jaw dropped. "I'll er, meet ya outside." He said, winking at Taylor, before slipping past Diego and Quinn.

Taylor scowled at the doorway, shaking his head in disbelief of his own bad luck. He shoved his arms into the black shirt sleeves irritably, quickly zipping it up as he hopped off the desk and threw the sheepishly waiting Diego and Quinn baleful glares.

"Dude, don't blame-" Diego hedged, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as Quinn giggled delightedly.

"I  _blame_  you..." Taylor snarked, his eyes narrowing as Quinn only giggled harder at his obviously sour mood. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to even get that far?" He whined, sighing heavily as he grabbed his new red jacket, and swung it over his shoulders.  _"Urghh..._  I hate you both so much right now. Know that." He complained petulantly, as Quinn skipped over and began helping him with the many buckles on the jacket, connecting it to the shirt below.

"Sorry Taylor, but your little tush is just gonna have to wait awhile longer." The redhead giggled, as Taylor flushed red.

 _"Quinn!"_  He choked, shaking his head as Quinn fastened the last buckle. "... but I don't  _wanna_  wait..." He complained, pouting at her as she laughed.

"Oh, Taylor..." She sighed, as he snorted and gathered his old clothes into his bag, before strapping some extra pouches to his leg.

"Fine, fine, you dastardly cockblockers." Taylor said, sighing in dejection, until Quinn swatted his shoulder. "Ow, less of it, you! I'm grieving here!" He complained, though his lips twitched with amusement.

 _"Grieving?!"_  Quinn giggled, shaking her head at his firm and serious nod of confirmation. "Oh, Taylor... What am I gonna do with you?" She sighed, as Diego pouted at them both.

"I think he's hoping for something specific, and for Jake to be the one to do it to him, Quinn..." He snorted, his lips twitching into a reluctant grin as Taylor winked over at him conspiratorially.

"See,  _Diego_  gets it." He sniggered, smirking at his friend as he rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. "What can I say, I was feeling affectionate." He added, before sighing and taking a deep breath to try and clear away the memory of Jake's fingers ghosting over his skin. "Let's go... get this over with." He groused sourly, as the others laughed at him. Diego and Quinn linked arms, skipping behind Taylor merrily as they teased him.

" _What makes Taylor a sourpuss? A day without his ass pushed-"_  they sang gleefully, before he whirled on them with a wide eyed, red face.

"Hey!" He yelped, as they burst out laughing and scattered around him, darting out the door quickly. He snorted, shaking his head at them, as embarrassment and affection collided in his heart. He took a deep breath to compose himself, and stepped out to rejoin his friends with what he hoped was a convincing, confident grin. "You know... I kinda like this!" He said, beaming a grateful smirk at Zahra, as she winked at him approvingly.

"What's not to like?" She asked, leaning against Craig's side as she grinned up at him proudly. "You look like a rock star!" She said, gesturing to his high collared jacket.

"I feel like I need to create a new Pictagram account, just to document that outfit." Michelle said, shaking her head in wide eyed disbelief, as she stared at his outfit longingly.

"Hell yeah!" Craig cheered, holding up his hand in the air. "Gimme give, Taylor!" He sniggered, as Taylor reached up to do just that. Before their palms could touch however, the jock began to pull his hand back, and Taylor was about to huff a quiet laugh; when his expression turned awed, as everything started moving in slow motion.

 _"Whoa..."_  Taylor breathed, his eyes widening as he looked around to see the strands of time glittering clearly around him. He noticed one which was slightly brighter than the others, and narrowed his eyes, as he flicked it lightly with his mind, giggling nervously and deciding bot to repeat the action; when the world around him noticeably flickered. He looked back at Craig's retreating palm, and grinned widely, able to easily reach up and press his hand against Craig's. As soon as they touched however, all movement returned to normal speed again.

"Haha. Too-" Craig taunted, only to break off suddenly in surprise, upon seeing Taylors hand flat against his own. "Slow? How in the...?!" He choked, as Taylor grinned at him, excitement bubbling in his chest as he ran a hand along the silky fabric of his Anachronist outfit.

"Yep. I  _definitely_  like this!" He sniggered, his heart lightening at the possibilities he felt opening up before him.  _That should come in handy_... He thought, biting his lip as he tried to concentrate on slowing down time again. After several seconds of nothing happening, his brow furrowed slightly in confusion.  _Hmm, maybe it needs some time to recharge, or **I**  do_... He thought, sighing in reluctant resignation.

"Looks like we're ready to go." Sean said, raising a brow to Taylor briefly, and receiving a petulant pout from him in response. The Clockmaker nodded, and took a stopwatch from her pocket. She adjusted a few dials, and clocked the button on the top, as Vaanti in the area immediately stepped back.

 _"Xiaoxin!"_  Yelled the spikey haired female, as the air in front of taylor began to ripple, before it imploded; like a burning film slide, melting away to reveal a huge, glowing rift.

"Oh god..." Diego moaned, his eyes wide as he gazed into the newly opened rift nervously. "Is this when some guy in a demonic bunny suit tells us to 'wake up'?"

"Dude, you know the rule." Taylor groaned, shaking his head as he scowled over at his friend reproachfully.

"Huh, oh right... The thing with the rabbits. Dude, how old were you when you first watched Watership Down anyway? For it to traumatise you this bad..." Diego huffed, shaking his head at Taylor fondly.

Taylor grimaced, firmly shoving away any thoughts of when he'd seen the traumatizing cartoon, determined not to let himself get distracted by his uncertainty and discomfort.

"I'm awake, I'm awake..." He heard Raj repeating to himself, clearly still bothered by Diego's previous reference. Suddenly, the large boy paused, his eyes widening as some thought suddenly struck him. "... Am I awake?" He demanded, as the others laughed at him quietly.

"We'll try to maintain it until you return, but do be quick." The Clockmaker said, watching them all curiously.

"Time for deploy." Jake said, sidling up to Taylors side. "You ready, Boy Scout?" He asked, as he reached for Taylors hand, only for him to yank it away with a sniff.

"You, are absolutely  _not_  forgiven for that stunt you pulled back there." He snarked, grimacing as he rolled his eyes and quickly grabbed for Jake's hand instead. "However, as we're about to enter an entirely dangerous and likely hostile situation, I will graciously put off being mad at you until we get back." He said, as Jake stared at him in wide eyed shock.

"Heh," he finally snorted, beaming a wide, affectionate smile at Taylor. "Mighty big of ya, Boy Scout." He said, squeezing Taylors hand as he leaned closer. "I promise I'll give ya somethin' mighty big in return, soon as we're back-"

"I might not be in the mood then." Taylor huffed dismissively, laughing at Jake's surprised cough. He met Jake's gaze as he snickered, winking coyly to show his true intent. "Now, c'mon everyone!" He called, scowling fiercely as he raised his arm as if he were leading a cavalry charge. " _Let's go break Rourke's stuff!"_ He laughed, his expression falling into a huge grin as his friends cheered around him. With a final wink at Jake, he ran headlong toward the rift; his pilot following close on his heels, and their friends just behind them.

"They don't stand much of a chance, do they?" Taylor heard the strangely attired Vaanti from the woods comment lightly, and The Clockmaker sigh sadly; as he made the final jump.

"... May Vaanu guide them." She said wistfully, as the world morphed and twisted around them briefly. Seconds later, they stepped into an immense, high ceilinged room, lined with countless monitors and advanced tech equipment.

Zahra's jaw dropped, as she gazed around in awe. "Dang..." She breathed, looking over at the huge computer banks longingly. "I could spend some time in here."

Jake motioned for everyone to keep quiet, before pointing at someone standing at a computer terminal. "Malfoy, three o'clock." He said, throwing a faint scowl down at Taylor, who bit his lip sheepishly and pointedly avoided meeting the pilots gaze.

He looked over at Aleister instead, who's back was turned to them, as hw carefully connected a cable to a hovering drone, then gazed into a monitor expectantly. "Mother? Can you hear me..?" He asked hesitantly, as Iris's face appeared on the screen. Taylors heart sank, as her blank gaze seemed to stare straight through Aleister. "Mother, it's me!  _Please..._  I need your help."

"Access denied." Iris said crisply, her tone emotionless as she spoke. "User is invalid."

"So... We're coming to the end of it all then." Aleister muttered darkly, as footsteps began to ring out in the corridor outside.

"Someone's coming." Estela whispered sharply, just before a group of Arachnid operatives came rushing towards them, led by Mike himself.

"Intruders!" He growled, scowling over at them ass he motioned for his troops to move in.

"Wha-" Aleister began, turning to see them all standing behind him. "Oh,  _bloody hell!"_  He choked, his eyes widening in shock briefly. before he turned to Mike urgently. "No! Stand down!"

The soldiers held their ground, as Aleister hurriedly disconnected the drone, causing the monitor to go blank. "Um, hi Aleister..." Taylor said, clearing his throat as he waved slightly. "So... Can we just, grab the Heart and get outta here?" He said, before clicking his fingers in sudden realisation. "Oh, and Grace. And you. And...  _him."_  He said, tipping his head indiscreetly towards Mike.

Aleister looked around the unsurprised faces, and sighed in irritation, his finger rising to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Taylor, what part of 'covert operation' and 'delicate espionage' was too difficult for you to follow?" He snarked, as Taylor shifted guiltily.

"Hey, lay off, Sergeant Buzzkill. It's... Been a rough couple days." Jake said, scowling at the pale boy as Aleister looked up and glared at them all fiercely.

"I know I said come quickly, Taylor..." He scoffed, folding his arms over his chest imperiously. "But really, I expected you'd wait at least a day or two." He snorted, shaking his head at him.

"Uh, technically we did..." Taylor hedged, shrugging his shoulder when Aleister raised a brow at him in disbelief. "It's a  _long_  story..." He offered weakly, spreading his palms towards the pale boy.

"Taylor," Aleister sighed, rolling his eyes as he scowled at the group. "You are the single most frustrating person I've ever known." He said acerbically, and though his eyes remained hard, his lips twitched fondly. "Of course, you're also probably the most foolish, hard headed, ridiculous-"

"Hey, hey!" Taylor yelped, his eyes wide as he pouted over at the pale boy accusingly, flashing a brief glare around his friends as they all laughed at him. "I'm feeling pretty attacked right now... And here I am, leading the charge to rescue you!"

Aleister snorted, turning his head away, though his amusement was still plain to see. "You're an idiot, Taylor." The pale boy sighed, scrubbing his face with his hand tiredly. "But perhaps the charade has played its course. There's nothing I can do for my mother..." He said thickly, glancing over at then with a brief flash of a commiserating smile. "But-"

 **"Permission to capture the intruders**?" One of the Arachnid soldiers demanded, levelling their gun at Taylor.

Aleister whirled towards the troops furiously, glaring at them superiorly. "Just...  _leave!"_  He commanded harshly, startling some of the troops with his ferocity. "I have this situation under control." He sneered, scowling at then all derisively.

"You're lying." Mike snarked quietly, glaring at Aleister with narrowed eyes. Jake took a step towards his former partner, only for Sean to put out an arm to hold him back. Taylor shifted uncomfortably, firmly ignoring the faint nervous flutter in his stomach, a shis pilot stared at Mike imploringly.

"Mike! Fight it,  _dammit!"_  He pleaded, scowling over at the man in red armour, who blatantly ignored him. Aleister twirled to the console, and entered a series of commands into the terminal, as Mike froze; his expression turning utterly blank.

"I said,  _leave."_  Aleister said forcefully, turning back to the soldier with his arms folded across his chest, his posture rigid as he tapped his finger discreetly against his elbow in agitation.

Mike stared for another moment, before nodding sharply. "... Yes, sir." He said, turning atiffly and beginning to walk off.

 _"Wait, we're just gonna_ -" a soldier began incredulously, only for Mike to gesture to him sharply.

"We're  _moving."_  He barked roughly, still walking stiffly, as hw waited for his troops to file out ahead of him. "That's an order."

The Arachnid soldiers exchanged glances, before one of them finally shrugged and holstered their weapon.  **"Copy."**  They said, the other troops following their example and filing down a ramp ahead of Mike.

"You're  _controlling_  him?!" Jake cried, as soon as they were alone, his eyes wide with disbelief and pain. Taylor stepped closer, threading his fingers with the pilots and squeezing firmly in support.

"Not entirely..." Aleister sighed guiltily, rubbing his brow wearily. "I adjusted his memory of the last few minutes... That was the first time any attempt I've made to affect your friend has been successful. Perhaps, if she would be amiable, Zahra would care to take a look?" He asked, gesturing discreetly towards the terminal he'd used. "After, you've overpowered me, of course." He added, frowning in disapproval as Zahra merely rolled her eyes and shoved him aside to access the terminal.

"Aleister, I think we're a little past the smoke and mirror phase of this operation." Taylor said, snorting as Zahra tapped at the keys before her rapidly. "Look, where's The Islands Heart?" He asked, as Aleister hummed thoughtfully.

"There." He said distractedly, pointing across the room to a towering, robotic firm, surrounded by wires and scaffolding.

"Oh..." Taylor breathed, recalling Olivia Montoya's simulation in the  **MASADA**  Complex. "Good god..." He gasped, taking a nervous step backwards, remembering the red space-suited figure strapped into it, and shivering at the sudden connection.  _Rourke knows... He never wanted a trophy! He already knew that I was The Endless_... He thought frantically, his hands rising to drag through his hair, as he took several quick breaths.

"Inside the Omega Mech." Aleister continued forlornly, looking over at the machine, heedless of Taylors minor breakdown.

"Boy Scout..?" Jake called worriedly, his hands covering Taylors and gently drawing them away from his hair, as Taylors eyes rose to meet his concerned gaze suddenly.

"Rourke knows..." He whispered, his eyes wide, as he tried to process the realisation. "He  _knows,_  Jake... He knows The Endless and I are the same person...  _That's_  why he wants me; he wants to use  _me,_  to power that thing. Because he can't catch The Endless... And that, lying, manipulative old bastard  _knew_  it!" He rambled, slowly devolving into a furious scowl, as he huffed and stared down at the floor.

"Well," Jake said slowly, squeezing bus shoulders to draw Taylors gaze back to his own concerned frown. "Sounds to me like we just got one more good reason to get done, and get outta here quick." He said, drawing Taylor into a fierce but brief embrace.

"What in the Sam Hill?" Kele choked, staring at the machine in awe, his own experience with weapons of war severely outdated.

" _We... are... screwed_." Craig said slowly, his eyes wide as he gazed up at the enormous robot.

"Nice knowing you, dudes." Raj sighed in resignation, sharing a commiserating high five with Craig.

Taylor opened his mouth, about to voice his desire that they destroy the infernal machine, when Diego gasped. He turned to see his friend leaning over a surveillance monitor, his eyes wide and filled with pain and desperation as he glanced up at him urgently. "Taylor,  _look!"_  He exclaimed, and Taylor moved over quickly to look over his shoulder. Several camera feeds were shown on the screen, and his heart lurched, when on one of them; he saw Varyyn, restrained atop a lab table.

"They captured him!" Quinn gasped, looking up at Aleister in disbelief. "Are they  _experimenting_  on him?!"

Taylor shivered, his insides turning cold as he recalled seeing Varyyn in such a predicament before; in the vision shown to him, by Diego's idol. "Oh no..." He choked, shaking his head and stepping back as Diego turned pale and began wringing his hands.

"... Please, say we'll help him Taylor." He pleaded, looking up at Taylor desperately, who frowned back at him.

"Dude, what the hell? Of course we're gonna bloody help him." He snapped, running a hand through his hair as he sighed guiltily. "Sorry. Just... This is-"

"Grace has got to be here too..." Michelle interrupted his confession, scanning the other monitors before looking up at Aleister expectantly. "Why don't I see her on any of these?"

"Varyyn was brought in just a few hours ago," Aleister began to explain, leaning back against the console. "He was heavily sedated, due to the fight he put up against Mouse; sorry, Mike... But, I've been lowering his dosage. He will still be groggy, naturally, but..."

 _"Ohmygod..."_  Diego mumbled, his voice muffled as he covered his mouth with his hand, and stared down at the restrained Varyyn on the monitor.

"And Grace? Where is she?" Taylor pressed, sensing Aleister's desire to avoid the topic.

"She..." The pale boy began, shifting his weight slightly as his composed facade cracked, his gaze turning to the floor in shame. "She has her own... cell. Next to fathers office. It's in the aboveground portion of the Observatory... She-" He broke off abruptly, his hand unconsciously rising to his cheek. He cleared his throat loudly, pushing off the console as he looked around them quickly. "We're running short on time. You need to take me out before you decide what you're going to do." He said, raising his hand and scowling as he slashed his arm through the air fiercely. "I need to do this, Taylor! Things could end  _very_  badly for everyone, if this duplicity is discovered. You need to find them quickly, and then leave the same way you came."

"We need to either go after Varyyn and Grace, or The Islands Heart, quickly." Sean said urgently, his muscles flexing with the anticipation of setting off. "What's it to be, Taylor?"

"First off, I do  _not_  appreciate all the pressure guys." Taylor complained, rubbing his head as he considered their best course of action. He sighed heavily, dropping his hands as he looked towards Diego. "If we go after them now, we have to get through the entire facility, without being seen;  _twice..."_  He said reluctantly, biting his lip in guilt as Diego's expression twisted with grief. "Let's get The Islands Heart while we're here; and then grab the others, so we can hightail it straight outta the rift..."

"It's right here." Jake agreed, though his expression showed his reluctance. "We gotta get it." He said, as he moved over and squeezed Diego's shoulder. "But we ain't takin' long, right, Short Stuff? This is a speed mission." He said firmly, glancing at Taylor meaningfully.

"If what The Endless said is true-" Sean began, only for taylor to snort and interrupt loudly.

"That, is a pretty big fucking  _if."_  He snarked in disgust, scowling as his hands balled into fists. Sean stared at him flatly, clearly unimpressed by his outburst. "Just sayin'." Taylor groused, raising both hands in placation as he turned away with a frustrated sigh.

"... We're all dead, if we don't." Sean finished, ignoring Taylor, as he stuck his tongue out at the athlete childishly.

"Hey, behave and put it away." Jake muttered, as he stepped up to Taylor, winking down at him as he brushed the backs of their hands together. "Else I'm gonna have to confiscate it."

"What?  _How'd_  you even- oh..." Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as he suddenly understood, shoving his pilot playfully as he successfully distracted him. "And everyone says I'm the idiot. You know, you can just say if you wanna kiss me, its  _preeetty_  unlikely I'll say no."

"What, you sayin' there's a chance you might say no?" Jake sniggered, raising a brow as he a cocky grin spread across his face and he turned towards him.

"Hmm, I'd say its... Eighty-twenty?" Taylor hummed thoughtfully, a goofy grin curling his lips as Jake leaned closer. "Oh, but twenty wins..!" Taylor sighed, holding his fingers to the pilots lips. "I just decided still mad at you for earlier after all." He sniggered, as Jake rolled his eyes and snorted.

"I can outlast ya any day, Boy Scout." He said smugly, drawing back as Taylor scoffed and Diego huffed a small sound amusement at them, even as he turned to once more stare at the monitor.

"... I understand, Taylor." He sighed, and looking down at Varyyn longingly. Taylor sobered, moving to his friends side and grasping his elbow, drawing Diego's eyes to meet his own.

"I promise you, you're gonna be having your own, sickeningly sweet moments with Varyyn, before you know it... " Taylor assured, squeezing his friends arm again gently. "But there is a very, very good reason why I'm asking we go there second." He promised, his eyes clouding with grief momentarily, as he recalled his friends peppered with bullets. Diego swallowed heavily, covering Taylors hand with his own as he nodded reluctantly.

Aleister scowled, making a show of moving to the terminal and making several rough gestures at the keyboard, though he never touched it. "I've warned you all I can. Now really, Taylor, get on with-  _Urk!"_  He choked, slumping forward suddenly.

"Estela!" Taylor gasped in shock, staring at the dark haired gurl standing behind Aleister's unconscious body, brandishing the blunt end of her spear.

She took a moment to pop the tension out of her neck, before shrugging at Taylor unashamedly. "What? He said to make it look real." She said, sighing as she grinned at then wickedly. "I'm not gonna lie... I've been wanting to do that for awhile now." She chuckled, as Craig quickly grabbed a loose power cord, and began to tie the pale boys hands.

"I can't believe we have to do this..." Sean sighed, running a hand over his head regretfully, sharing Taylors unease over their friends treatment. "But, its better not to take any risks at this point." He said, as Craig finished binding Aleister.

"Guys, he wasn't kidding 'bout that guys programming. It's intense." Zahra said, drawing them all to crowd around her.

"But, you can do it, right?" Jake asked urgently, his brows furrowing in concern as he bit his lip nervously. "You can get in, and wipe it out? Put him right?" He rambled quickly, until Taylors hand slid into his own and squeezed gently.

Zahra continued to type furiously at the keys, before grinning up at him smugly.  _"Pfft,_  course I can. It's ready to go. Just gotta press the final key." She said, gesturing towards a button at the top of the keyboard., and slapping Jake's hand away when he immediately reached for it. "Okay,  _one;_  don't touch.  _Two;_  you have no idea where he is right now, so refer to point one." She snorted, as he sighed and drew back.

"Okay, okay... Let's, just go get the Heart." The pilot said, gesturing towards the gigantic mech, though he still stared at the terminal longingly.

Taylor shivered as they approached, keeping to the back of the group as he recalled the awful simulation he'd been a part of. Zahra however, stared up at the Omega Mech in awe. "It's...  _everything."_  She whispered, her eyes wide as she looked over the complex design studiously.

"It's somethin', alright." Kele agreed, staring at the colossal machine in disbelief. Quinn bumped her shoulder to his, looking up at the menacing robot in fearful wonder.

Jake scowled at the machine, snorting in disgust as he shook his head. "Leave it to Daddy Weirdbucks to paint his doomsday device Mid-Life Crisis Red." He scoffed, glancing over at Taylor in concern, as he felt him shiver again.

Erratic flashes of light came from a compartment bear the Mech's torso, and Taylor pointed towards the spot reluctantly. "I think the Hearts up there." He said slowly, swallowing as he unconsciously took a step backwards.

"Cool. I'll check it out." Zahra said, darting forward and climbing into an elevating platform quickly. She started it up, and began rising slowly.

"Z, wait!" Craig called suddenly, his eyes wide as he jumped up, and laboriously hoisted himself onto the platform. "We used to watch Gundam together, remember? It was our tradition." He said, grinning at her as she chuckled and grabbed his hand.

"I remember, ya doofus." She said quietly, staring at him in fond affection, as they hurtled upwards.

"Oh hey, if you can like, set it to blow up or anything; that'd be really cool!" Taylor called suddenly, unable to contain his unease any longer. He flushed as his friends turned to look at him, but otherwise ignored them, as he watched Zahra and Craig finally come to a stop next to the compartment with the flashing light.

"Did you guys see something move over there?" Michelle whispered urgently, pointing to a cluster of desks.

"I see it!" Diego gasped, his eyes wide as he pointed the same direction as Michelle. "I think it's the ghost!"

"Oh, I'm pretty certain that's  _not_  the ghost..." Taylor hedged, glancing up at Jake knowingly, as the pilots expression slowly morphed into a hateful scowl.

"You should've asked permission before dropping in, sweeties..." Fiddler chuckled, as her suit fizzled and materialized between their group and the giant mech. "Now I'm gonna have to  _kick you out_!" She snarled, sending a dark katana whirling through the air toward his lower body.

Taylor gasped, time seeming to slow as he watched the katana hurtled towards him in shock. He shook himself free of his immobilization, grabbing a monitor off a desk and crouching behind it, gritting his teeth as time corrected itself. "Hnng!" He huffed, almost thrown off balance as the blade crashed against the heavy plastic and slid to the ground.

"Too close!" Quinn gasped, rushing to his side as she helped re-stabilize him. "Are you, okay?" She asked worriedly, as Taylor nodded in reassurance, though he winced at the lingering sting in his palms.

Fiddler pulled the weapon out of a pile of shattered glass on the floor, as Raj pointed at it, staring in wide eyed disbelief. "Her blade... It shoulda cut through that!" He cried, as Taylor looked over himself, noticing that there was no glow of heat around Fiddler's katanas.

"What's the matter?" Jake taunted, his eyes darting to Taylor before focusing back onto Fiddler. "Lundgren replace your toys with hand me downs?" He snorted, grinning at her maliciously.

"Shut up,  _Wolf!"_  She snarled hatefully, whirling towards Jake with both blades raised. Taylors heart lurched, and he moved towards Jake, only for Quinn and Diego to hold him back. They quickly gestured high above, to where a flare of light finally caught his attention. He saw Zahra holding The Islands Heart over the edge, preparing to drop it on Fiddler's head.

"You missed your opportunity to backstab me a second time, Jeanine." Jake scoffed, scowling at the ferocious woman hatefully. "Bit if I get half the chance, I'll make you  _pay_  for what you did to me and Mike.

"Business, Jake. Just business." Fiddler chuckled, twirling her blades expertly. "But then, you always did mix up work and pleasure..." She taunted, a cocky grin on her face, as Taylor felt his heart turn cold.

 _No, no, no... He told me. He_... Taylor shook his head, his eyes stinging as he screamed the first thing which cane to mind.  _"Leave him alone_!" He cried, scowling at the woman, as he felt his eyes prickle tellingly.

"Boy Scout?" Jake choked, looking over in wide eyed concern, as Taylor scrubbed his eyes with his jacket sleeve roughly.

Fiddler sniggered cockily, smirking at him as she rocked back on her heels smugly. "That's our Wolf." She said, winking at him conspiratorially. "Always a hit with the boys..." She drawled, relishing the way Taylor flinched.

"You shut your  _filthy_  mouth, Jeanine!" Jake snarled, scowling at her, before turning back to Taylor. "Don't listen to her, she's just-"

"Fiddler, what did you do?" Taylor demanded, cutting Jake off as he scowled over at Fiddler, locking his heart away as he flicked his eyes up to Zahra, as she threw him a brief thumbs up.

"Jake didn't like what Lundgren was up to..." She replied innocently, bringing the tip of one blade to Jake's neck suddenly, sending a wave of terror through Taylors spine as she leered into his pilots face. "... And I didn't like  _Jake._  When he told me he was going to expose out commander, I did what anyone would have done." She said smugly, leaning closer to Jake as she scowled at him hatefully. "I let Lundgren know exactly what kind of  _scum_  he had working for him."

Taylor scowled at the woman, hating her smugness, her insinuations, her closeness to his pilot. "Sounds like you forgot to tell him about yourself." He scoffed in disgust, folding his arms over his chest as he glared at her.

Fiddler turned towards him, releasing Jake as she clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "You've clearly spent far too much time around our dear Wolf. The boss might want you for his new pet, but he won't mind if I give you a little lesson first." She assured, looking him over in thoughtful consideration. "Now, I think I said it before but, I do  _not_  like that mouth if yours..." She said, shaking her head sadly as she brandished her katana at him. "How about I cut you a new-" the soldier cut off abruptly, as a half sphere of heavy crystal smashed into her head. "... One..." Fiddler choked, before crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

Taylor took a step back as he exhaled heavily, staring at the soldier as Craig and Zahra cheered from the platform.  _"Yesssss!"_  Zahra laughed,throwing her arms around Craig gleefully.

"Pass completed!" Craig sniggered, sticking both his thumbs up at Taylor eagerly. "Nice assist, Taylor!" The jock cheered, as they lowered the platform to the floor, while Diego scooped up the still intact Heart.

 _"Kff... Kff_..!" Jake doubled over, coughing hard and Taylor felt his heart clench in fear, as he shook himself free of his sgupor, and rushed to the pilots side.

"You okay, Jake?" He asked worriedly, as Jake grabbed his arms and continued to cough hard.

"It's his lung." Michelle said, moving over to feel his chest carefully. "Nice, slow breaths, Jake. In through your nose, and our through your mou-"

"Taylor," Jake choked, ignoring the blonde as he looked up at Taylor urgently. "She's, a  _liar..."_  He wheezed, shaking his head frantically, as Taylor tried to shush him. "Filthy, liar...  _You-"_  he broke off, coughing harshly.

"Jake please, just  _breathe."_  Taylor pleaded, cupping the pilots face in his hands and forcing his near hysteric gaze to meet Taylors calm one. "I know, I'm okay." He lied, purposely taking a deep breathe in through his nose, and waiting for the pilot to do the same. He nodded when Jake finally copied him, smiling weakly as he pretended his heart and mind weren't torn by the newly raised doubts.

After a few quiet moments of focused breathing, Jake managed to get the coughing to stop, and stood up straight. "I'm alright..." He said quietly, his brow creased by concern as he raised his hand to Taylors cheek. "Are you?  _Really?"_

Taylor was about to sweep the matter aside again, when he instead dropped his gaze, gently drawing the pilots hand from his cheek as he sighed. "I will be." He said, looking up to see the pilots expression twist with grief. "I  _will_  be." He repeated, squeezing Jake's hand firmly and letting his forehead rest to the pilots briefly. "C'mon... I wanna get outta this damn place already." He said, turning to lead the group across the room. He glanced at the still unconscious Aleister as they passed his computer terminal, the screen still flashing, waiting for the final command to free Mike from Lundgren's control.  _And leave him free to mix business and pleasure with Jake again_... He thought before he could help it, his gut twisting with nausea, jealousy and fear.

"I can't believe you hit him, Estela..." Quinn said, pouting as the dark haired girl shrugged in disinterest, peering out the doorway to check for guards who might have heard the ruckus Fiddler had caused.

"He wanted someone to," Sean sighed, frowning down at the pale boy guiltily. "Still, I wish it coulda gone another way..."

Taylor ignored them, as he caught sight of a folded piece of paper, under the base of Aleister's desk. He reached forward, and began to delicately unfold it. By gradually taking the pressure off the pinch spot, he found he was able to remove the paper intact. "Ha. Got it." He cheered to himself, grinning smugly at his small achievement, using it to distract himself from the ache within his heart.

 _My dearest Grace_ , he silently read, pausing as he considered whether he should really continue. He bit his lip, before deciding that if Aleister had hidden it away, it probably meant he'd chickened out of giving it to Grace; and that he should know what was in it, to know whether he should remedy that _. I know we may never speak again, but I wanted you to at least know how much I regret... everything. I've caused you so much suffering and for that, I'll never, ever forgive myself. I should have let you go with the others, and continued this foolishmess alone, but i let my fear for you control me... I hope only to live long enough, to redeem myself in your eyes. Yours respectfully, Aleister_. Taylor heaved a weary sigh, shaking his head at the pale boy as he re-folded the note and stuck it in his pocket, as he crouched beside his friend. "You're a far bigger idiot than me, my friend. Lucky for you though, I'm gonna fix your mess." He huffed fondly, resting his hand on Aleister's arm.

"Yo, you comin'?" Craig called from the doorway, frowning at him in confusion.

"Let's go get Varyyn now, yeah?" Diego asked eagerly, biting his lip nervously, as Taylor smiled tiredly and nodded at him.

"Yeah..." He said, swinging his arm around Diego's shoulders, as everyone headed toward a bank of elevators. "Let's go get your Elyyshar." He said, snickering as Diego laughed at him softly.

They rode the elevator in nervous silence, each of them glancing around on occasion, but never to meet anyone's eyes. When they finally found the right floor, they raced through the complex to the Observatort lab, to find Varyyn lying on a large surgical table. His arms and legs were pinned down by mechanical restraints, his eyes closed, as Diego rushed to his side.

"Varyyn?" He called desperately, brushing loose hair from the Vaanti's face. "Can you hear me?" He pleaded, hiccupping a sob of joy as Varyyn slowly opened his eyes.

"Diego..?" He asked sleepily, humming sadly as he sighed and rolled his head towards him. "I'd hoped to see your face one more time." He said quietly, as Diego made a sound of protest in his throat, his eyes watering. "They ambushed me... Too many. I couldn't-"

"Shh, I know." Diego said, gently caressing the Vaanti's brow. "We're gonna get you out of here." He promised, as Jake struggled to open one of the restraints.

 _"Argh!"_  The pilot, scowling at the unmoving metal confines. "Damn thing won't  _budge!"_  He growled, stepping aside to let Sean give it a try. The athlete was only to great a tiny gap however, before the shackle snapped shut again.

Diego turned towards a workstation, where he and Zahra peered at the screen. "Piece of cake. All we need to do is release the-" Zahra said, though she fell silent, as the workstation suddenly turned dark.

Iris's hologram appeared at the center of the room, staring through them all blankly. "I'm sorry, Zahra. I can't let you do that."

Taylor felt his blood turn cold, as his memory and reality overlapped perfectly. "... We need to leave." He said urgently, staring in horror at Iris's emotionless hologram, ignoring the others as they turned to him in shock.  _"Fast."_  He said, his breath coming faster as his mind continued to play the memory of Diego's idol.

"Iris?" Diego gasped, ignoring Taylor as he turned to the hologram pleadingly. "You've got to let Varyyn  _go!"_

"Negative." Iris said immediately, her blue body seeming to flash red for a moment, before she regained her usual tone, though a resentful scowl spread across her face. "This specimen will remain in custody, for the duration of the procedure." She intoned, as a series of panels slid open near the ceiling. A camera and robotic arms, connected to machine guns, emerged from the wall.

"What the..." Craig exclaimed, his jaw dropping as he stared at the guns in disbelief. "Are you  _kidding_  me?"

"Please! Everyone,  _move!"_  Taylor cried, covering his ears with his hands as he heard the machine guns firing in his memory, the sounds of bullets connecting to soft flesh ringing in his ears.

"Defense sequence initiated." Iris said, her detached scowl seemingly focused on the wall behind them. "Final warning..." She added, as her sinister expression flickered. Taylor looked up, to see the hologram was being projected from a small pedestal on the other side of the lab.

"Everyone! Under the table!  _Now!"_  He demanded, shoving at his friends to get them moving. When Diego remained locked beside Varyyn, Taylor scowled and grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him close as his friend turned to him with an angry glare. "You're my best friend, and I love you, Diego. But... I will  _not_  forgive you, if you make me watch this again now." Taylor said quietly, swallowing thickly as Diego blinked in surprise.

"Taylor..?" He asked awkwardly, gazing back at Varyyn remorsefully, as tears filled his eyes.

"I swear, we will het him out, Diego." Taylor promised, before urging his friend towards the table. "But for now,  _please,_  get under the damn table!" He pleaded desperately, and finally, he and Diego moved to join everyone taking cover.

"... No hostiles within range." Iris said after a pause, her hologram flickering briefly. "Defense sequence suspended."

"Whew." Taylor sighed, dropping his head to his knees as he sobbed in relief. "Please don't ever do that to me again... Once is plenty enough." He complained, his voice muffled by his own lap.

"We need to do something about that camera." Jake growled, as Taylor raised his head, to find the pilot scowling across the room.

"Eye in the sky need taking out?" Kele asked thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes as he rummaged in his pocket briefly. "Leave it to me." He assured, as he pulled out a slingshot and carefully took aim, sending a rock flying straight into something which dropped to the floor with a clatter. "Bingo." He said, grinning proudly as he stowed his slingshot back into his pocket.

Taylor peeked his head out to see a wisp of smoke, curling from the broken camera. Diego rushed back to Varyyn and put his arms around him, sobbing heavily. "How can we get him out?" Quinn asked, as the rest of them emerged from their makeshift cover. "We've  _got_  to get him out!"

"Surveillance lost in Cloning Lab." Iris intoned emotionlessly, her hologram flickering briefly. "Alerting proper channels..."

 _"Wait!"_  Taylor called urgently, searching through his memory quickly for some way to convince her to let Varyyn go, when the perfect idea suddenly landed in his mind. "Iris, we've got Rourke at gunpoint."

Jake nodded at him proudly, then turned towards the hologram himself, a cocky grin forming on his lips. "If you don't release Varyyn, Rourke here gets a bullet in the head." He sniggered, scuffing his foot against the floor to mimic the sound of struggling. "What's it gonna be?" He huffed, winking over at Taylor assuredly.

Taylor smiled at the pilot affectionately, amused by his enthusiasm despite the lingering seeds of doubt which Fiddler had sewn in his heart. He sighed, as Iris's hologram scanned the area blindly. "Data inconclusive..." She said, wringing her hands in a mixture of uncertainty and guilt. "Everett Rourke was not seen entering the Cloning Lab."

"Just try and test me, Hallie Nine Thousand!" Jake growled, scowling at the hologram as he scuffed his feet again, the sounds more urgent than he'd previously made them.

"... Threat level too high." Iris finally caved, her holographic shoulders slumping in defeat. "Complying with hostiles' demand." She said, as all of Varyyn's restraints came open.

"Iris..." Taylor called, but to no avail, as the blue hologram vanished. Michelle rushed over to Varyyn, examining him concernedly.

"Aleister was right. They've sedated him... But there's no wounds." The blonde said, helping Varyyn to sit up, just as a blaring siren sounded out.

"Okay,  _this_  is why I said Heart first!" Taylor yelled, as Diego rolled his eyes at him and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

"That little piece of..." Zahra growled, scowling at the pedestal with the projector in irritation. "She activated an alarm."

"Okay, we need to move!  _Now!"_  Sean cried, as Diego and Craig carefully propped up Varyyn's much taller frame between them, and everyone hastened towards the elevators.

"Gra..." Varyyn groaned, his head hanging forward tiredly. Taylor frowned, as the siren sounded again, obscuring the Vaanti's weak voice.

"What, Varyyn?" Diego asked urgently, his eyes wide as he peered at the Elyyshar worriedly, and Taylors nerves began to fray, at the continued warble of the blaring alarm.

Varyyn gestured towards a door, over on the other side of the lab. "Grace." He choked, his arm slumping quickly to his side.

"Let's go check it out." Sean said, his eyes wide as he hurried across the lab to the other door. They filed through the exit, into the meeting point of three hallways, and Varyyn pointed to the left wearily.

The siren blared a third time, and as it began to fade, Taylor picked up the sound of heavy footfalls approaching.  _"Found youuu!"_  Tetra yelled jubilantly, as Taylor scowled at the mechanically enhanced brute hatefully.

"Oh damn, guess it's your turn to hide, and we'll come find you! Promise..." He snarked, winking sarcastically, as a group of Arachnid troops rounded a corner in the central hallway.

 **"Give yourselves up, or we'll be forced to use force**." A soldier warned, raising their weapon towards them threateningly.

"Eat my shorts." Jake snorted, scowling at the muscular brute as he grit his teeth, clearly recalling the last time they'd seen him; firing rockets at them.

"Hey, Jakey-Wakey, wanna hear a good joke?" Tetra crowed, clashing his metallic hands together as Taylor couldn't help but snigger, envisioning the brute in green.

"Do I have a  _choice?"_  Jake sneered, grimacing at the excited Arachnid operative.

"Why did the wolf, cross the road?" Tetra boomed eagerly, as Jake inclined his head toward the group.

"On my signal, Boy Scout, Ariel, Short Stuff, and Big Guy; you take Papa Smurf and head left." He said, as Taylor reached for his hand, his expression crumpling as Jake briefly met his gaze. "Don't gimme that look, we ain't got time. Just please, do what I say. And be  _safe."_  He added in a lower tone, brushing his thumb over the back of Taylors hand.

"Uh... are any of those people even here?" Kele asked nervously, his eyes wide as he looked around the group, as if expecting new faces to have appeared.

 _"I said... Why did the wolf-_ " Tetra roared, glaring at them as they blatantly ignored him.

"Hey, shut up!" Taylor snapped back, scowling st him as he flipped the soldier the bird. "I am trying to have a moment here!  _If you don't bloody mind_!"

"Taylor, godammit..." Jake sighed, shaking his head as Taylor turned back to him, utterly unabashed.

 _"What?"_  He groused, throwing another brief glare at the brute, as he stared in shock. "I  _don't_  like him." He said stubbornly, pouting as Jake huffed in fond exasperation.

"Ya know, Fiddler had plans for that mouth of yours," Tetra said, recovering himself as he scowled at Taylor menacingly.

 _"Pfft,_  she can get kiss my ass. I got  _waaay_  better plans of my own in mind." Taylor snorted, before grimacing suddenly and shaking his head. "On second thoughts, she can kiss  _your_  ass, or Lundgren's; hell, she can kiss Rourke's ass for all I care, just so long as it's  _not_  min-"

 _"You're ruining my joke!"_  Tetra roared furiously, slamming his fists together loudly, as Jake hung his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, laughing at Taylors idiocy quietly.

"Well, I am  _very_  sorry I wasted all that hard work of yours... Was it just since we last saw you, you've been working on it? Or ya know, the entire time Jake's been evading you and your sad-sack boss?" He asked, giggling when Tetra growled in frustration. "Oh alright, ask your little joke; I promise we'll all find it absolutely hilarious." He snorted, as Jake finally sighed and raised his amused and adoring gaze to Taylor.

"I love the shit outta you, I told you that, right?" The pilot huffed, as Taylor wrinkled his nose in feigned disgust.

"Dude,  _gross."_  He snarked, nudging the pilot playfully, though his eyes danced with amusement. "Now shh, Mr Muscle is gonna tell us a bad joke, and we have to laugh." He said in a loud stage whisper, before gesturing towards Tetra.

Tetra scowled at him, as Taylor waved him on again encouragingly. "Why did the wolf-" he began, only for Jake to squeeze Taylors hand, before spreading both hands and turning towards the brute.

"You got me, pal." The pilot said, tensing in anticipation, as Taylor felt his levity attempt to turn back into fear; when Tetra grinned maniacally.

"He didn't." Tetra crowed, gleeful that he could finally complete his joke. "Somebody ripped his guts out first!  _Ahahaha!"_  The brute reached out toward Jake, Taylors heart lurching as the mans mechanical arms stretched out like snakes, rapidly closing the distance between them.

"... They rebuilt him?" Quinn gasped in disbelief, as Taylors heart raced, his eyes locked on the approaching arms. He felt time begin to shift, and he realised with a start that he could see the fine strand which he instinctively knew would freeze the world around them.

 _"Now!"_  Jake cried, distracting him and causing him to lose the strand, as he moved with Quinn, Diego, Craig and Varyyn; running for the left hall, while the others held their ground. He glanced back from the corner desperately, to see Jake narrowly dodge Tetra's writhing limbs, which instead crashed into the wall; sending chunks of debris flying.

 _"Jake!"_  He cried, beginning to turn back as his heart leaped to his throat.

"Get the hell out of here, Taylor!" Jake roared, scowling at him, before he and Sean led the others down the right hallway, the Arachnid soldiers swiftly pursuing them.

Tetra arrived at the intersection and glanced over his shoulder at him, causing Taylors concerned gaze to morph into an irritated scowl. "Oh no, you don't..." The brute giggled, launching an arm of serpentine steel down the hall at him.

"Oh yes, we do!" Taylor sneered, swinging open the nearest door and moving behind it. The snaking arm punched through the heavy wood, but became stuck.

"Hell yeah, Taylor!" Craig cheered, staring in wide eyed awe at the broken door, as he clapped Taylor on the back heavily.

Tetra's mechanical fingers clawed at the air, inches from Taylors face. "Stupid, sneaky kid!" Tetra growled in frustration, as Taylor moved to lean against the side of the door with a cocky grin.

"Oh, lookit, Quinn... Poor little fella got his paw stuck in the door!" He snickered, as Quinn stepped up beside him. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do though. I think we're... just gonna have to amputate." He sighed dramatically, clicking his tongue as Tetra finally managed to partially retract the arm, and got ready to try again.

Quinn moved between them, finally drawing Tetra's attention as she scowled at him. "Stay back!" She warned, narrowing her eyes ar him as she rose her arms with a dramatic flourish, as Taylor grinned over her shoulder proudly. "Or I'll mess you up all over again!" She promised darkly, glaring at the hulking brute as she began waving her fingers mystically.

"... N-no!" Tetra cried, cradling his metallic hands to his chest fearfully, as he stumbled back a step. "Get away from me, you...  _freak!"_  He cried, panicking as he completely retracted the limb.

"Hey, it is  _not_  nice to name call,  _asswipe!"_  Taylor yelled, as the brute turned tail and ran after the other half of the group. He sniggered, sharing a victory high five without even looking at Quinn, as they watched the brute disappear around the fsr corner. His amusement faded however, as he considered that the brute was now going after his pilot again.  _"Jake..."_  He sighed, before shaking off his fears and forcing himself to turn away.

"Never underestimate the power of jazz hands!" Diego scoffed, staring at Quinn in wide eyed wonder, as she blushed and giggled.

"It's about all I've got at this point." She admitted with a huff, as Taylor clapped her on the shoulder briefly.

"Grace... is there." Varyyn said tiredly, motioning towards a door at the end of the hall. Taylor nodded determinedly, forcing himself to push aside his thoughts of Jake and the others as he strode forward and opened the door, leading them into a cramped interrogation room. His heart sank, as he peered through an observation window, which looked in on Grace, curled into a corner of the tiny cell. Matter hair partially covered her face, but he could just make out her expression, despondent and staring into space.

"Grace, can you hear us?" Quinn called, pressing her hands to the glass, as Diego and Craig sat Varyyn in a chair at the small table.

"... Quinn?" Grace called curiously, though her expression never changed, her eyes never moving from their distant staring. "You're here too?"

"We all survived, Grace." Taylor assured, pressing his forehead to the glass, as he gazed down at the dark skinned girl sadly. "We're here to rescue you." He said gently, as Grace finally moved.

She tipped her head towards the window, but lowered her eyes to the floor, her shoulders slumping wearily. "... Don't bother." She sighed, closing her eyes as she curled in on herself tighter. "You're better off without me."

"What? Grace, I don't know what's been going on here, but we're gonna get you out!" Diego exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stepped away from Varyyn to look in on Grace for himself.

"We are here to help." Varyyn said groggily, shaking his head lightly, as Diego turned several latches on the door to the cell. He tried to open it, but something still held it shut.

"I got this." Craig growled, puffing up his chest as he gently drew Diego aside. He bounced on the balls of his feet a moment, before getting a running start, and body slamming into the door. Taylor stifled a snort, averting his gaze so he wouldn't laugh as the door didn't even budge. Craig winced, and leaned against the wall as he rubbed his shoulder. "Ouch..."

"Craig  _don't_  got this..." Taylor sniggered, unable to help himself. Craig raised his brows as he showed Taylor his middle finger, though he chuckled quietly himself.

"There's something stuck in the lock!" Quinn gasped, as she drew back from peering through the small lock. "On the  _inside!"_  She clarified, her eyes wide as she looked over at Taylor.

"Just... go away, you guys." Grace sighed tiredly, shaking her head despondently. "They'll only catch you if you don't."

"Grace, please, open the door." Taylor pleaded, leaning against the glass and closing his eyes. "There's a really big, really scary guy chasing the love of my life right now,  _and_  the rest of our friends. Aleister has risked  _everything_  to get us here so we can get you out, now please, Grace!  _Open the damn door_!" He said, his voice slowly rising in his desperation.

"Why?" Grace asked, ignoring everything Taylor had said, as her own temper flared. "What's so good about being out  _there?!"_  She demanded, scowling as she finally raised her eyes to his. "I'm better off in here... where no one can get to me."

A light came from one of the walls inside the cell, and Taylor felt his insides squirm nervously, ice slowly creeping down his spine. The ghostly figure stepped out of the cinder blocks, looking down at Grace inquisitively. "They're  _baaaaack..."_  Diego sing-songed, staring at the spirit in awe.

"Oh no... I'm hallucinating again." Grace sighed, curling in on herself, as she wrapped her arms tighter around her knees.

"Grace, that's Vaanu." Taylor said, his eyes flitting nervously between the girl and the spirit, his heart beating erratically as he watched them intently. "It wants to help us." He said, shivering as The Clockmakers words briefly echoed on his mind. _Perhaps it believes you may help it, in return._

"No joke, Grace!" Craig cried, peering in at Vaanu with wide eyes, touching his ring briefly before turning to Grace. "That things legit!"

"Just take whatever it gives you!" Diego encouraged, as his hand came to rest on Varyyn's knee without his realising. "It's like the opposite of Stranger Danger..."

Vaanu reached inside of itself, and withdrew a framed display, containing colourful butterflies. "Is this really happening?" Grace whispered to herself, shaking her head as she glanced over at them nervously. "You guys, what should I do?"

"Accept the frame, Grace." Taylor said, placing his hand on the glass of the observation window nearest to her. "Take it."

"Really?" Shd cried, her eyes wide as she turned back to Vaanu, biting her lip as she looked at the familiar display. "Okay, here goes nothing..." She whispered, taking a deep breath, before reaching out to accept the framed display from Vaanu.

Taylor closed his eyes, as white light blazed, and moments later, he found himself on a high balcony; overlooking a bustling city. Through adjoining windows, an upscale gallery could be seen. A large crowd was gathered inside, talking and gazing at vibrant paintings, featuring elaborate geometric patterns. Grace opened a glass door, walking out into the night air with Michelle.

"I can't decide which one I like best..." Michelle pouted, looking back over her shoulder wistfully. "Really, Grace, they're all  _amazing!"_

"Thank you!" Grace giggled, her hair braided into thin dreadlocks and partially twirled into a bun. She glanced around, before nudging the blonde's shoulder conspiratorially. "Just let me know if you  _do_  see one you want, and I'll set it aside." She whispered, as Michelle grabbed her hands and joined her in a delighted giggle.

The glass door opened again, and Grace turned with a smile, which promptly fell from her face as if she'd just seen a ghost. "Hello, Grace." Said a dark skinned woman, with shoulder length hair had been masterfully curled, wearing a smart blue business suit.

"Mom..." Grace gasped, her eyes wide as she stared in disbelief, her hands now clutching at Michelle's almost desperately. "W-what are  _you_  doing here?" She stammered, blinking rapidly as if she thought she were hallucinating.

"Grace, don't be silly." Her mother chided, beaming a wide though noticeably condescending smile at her. "I've always supported your little hobbies."

"' _Little hobbies_ '?!" Michelle choked, staring at Blaire Hall in wide eyed disbelief, as she squeezed Grace's hands gently.

"Mom," Grace sighed, her face falling in resignation, as she turned away shamefully. "Please, don't try to embarrass me." She pleaded, closing her eyes briefly in expectation.

 _"Never,_  darling!" Blaire cried, her shock blazing in her eyes, until her expression turned guilty. "I just, well... I  _did_  notice that some of these designs of yours are a little lackluster..." She hedged, twirling her wrist lightly as she peeked, smiling over at her daughter; as Michelle slowly began to scowl. "Maybe some more splashes of colour here and there to spruce things up, you know?"

"You're..." Grace bit out, blinking back tears of frustration as she looked anywhere but at her mother.  _"Missing the point."_  She choked, trembling as she tried to hold back her grief.

"I just..." Blaire sighed, shaking her head at Grace in exasperation. "I don't understand why you don't take up something you're actually  _good_  at, sweetheart." She said, her expression so sincere in it's confusion that Grace had to turn away to stifle a sob.

"Okay... That's it." Michelle snapped, slashing her arm through the air, and jabbing a finger at Grace's mother accusingly. "I'm sorry, but _shut the hell up,_  Mrs. Hall."

"Excuse me?" Blaire Hall demanded, staring at Michelle, aghast at her abrupt tone, hars words and fierce scowl. "Watch your mouth, young lady!" She said, frowning at the blonde in heavy disapproval.

"Grace." Michelle demanded, drawing Grace to turn around and face them in surprise. Michelle pointed firmly towards her mother, her expression fierce as she stared at Grace determinedly.  _"Tell her."_  She ordered, her hands falling to her hips as she winked at her friend encouragingly.

Grace stared at her a moment, before her lips twitched into a grateful smile, and she nodded firmly. "Mom." She said, turning to her mother with a determined gleam to her eye. "All of these paintings were generated, by calculations and assigned geometric properties..." She explained, scowling as her mother stared at her in surprise. "The  _whole point_  of fractal art, is to display the beauty of mathematics!" She cried, her chest heaving as she finally vented her pent up frustration. "It's not about being flashy, or impressive... It's about celebrating the intrinsic patterns of the universe." She said imploringly, sighing in relief as she set her hand over her heart.

"Right." Blaire said, after a long moment of awkward silence. "I knew that." She added, though her still wide eyes belied her statement.

"No, you  _didn't."_  Grace said firmly, shaking her head as she scowled at her mother in resentment. "You've never taken  _anything_  I've done seriously,  _especially_  the things I'm passionate about." She said, her tone heavy with disappointment.

Blaire glanced back and forth between Grace and Michelle, the blonde scowling back at her furiously. "I..." She began, only to pause and look back at her daughter, her eyes widening as for the first time; she seemed to see the strong and confident person Grace had become. "I see. I'll, uh, I'll be going then." She said, barely hesitating before turning on her heel and stalking out.

Michelle stepped closer to Grace, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder as she exhaled heavily. "You alright?" The blonde asked, looking Grace over carefully.

"You know what?" Grace said slowly, looking up at the sky, as her eyes watered. "That... felt  _really_  good!" She gasped, looking back at Michelle with a disbelieving, wide smile.

"Good!" Michelle said, clearly relieved as she beamed back at Grace, before her gaze turned considering. "I think she will actually get it, by the way. Seeing how talented you are, she probably just feels threatened." She said, snorting as she nudged Grace playfully and winked coyly. "Anyway, she's got about seven gushing art critics to get through on her way out of here, so I  _think_  its gonna sink in..."

Grace laughed, leaning on the balcony railing as she gazed out at the slowly darkening sky thoughtfully. "You know... When I was little, she gave me this glass box, full of butterflies... Beautiful specimens, in every colour of the rainbow. It was my most prized possession." She said, sighing fondly as she recalled the item. "And then, I started to realize... that's all I was to her." She added, her smile fading as she turned her face down to the city below, though her gaze seemed to go straight through it. "A precious thing, to keep under glass, and hide away..."

"Grace,  _you_  get to decide who's really in you're family, and who's not... Don't let the ties that bind you, be the ties that break you." Michelle said softly, rubbing her friends arm gently. "Okay?"

"Okay." Grace said warmly, turning to embrace Michelle suddenly, before straightening with a relieved sigh; as if letting a long held burden, finally fall away.

"Now..." Michelle said, beaming as she tilted her head back towards the gallery. "I think it's time for some of that champagne!"

"Agreed!" Grace giggled, as they looped their arms together and ducked their heads to go back inside, as another burst of light sent Taylor hurtling back to the interrogation room.

He opened his eyes to see Grace was standing in the center if her cell, her eyes wide as she stared at him in awe. "Taylor... I think I just saw..." She gasped, her eyes slowly lowering to the framed display still in her hands.

"Your future." Taylor said, smiling giddily as he leaned his forehead to the glass and sighed, watching Vaanu step back into the wall; its light fading away.

Taylor turned as he heard a series of clicks, a wide grin forming in his face as the cell door swung open. Grace stared at them all, clutching her display tightly. "I'm ready to go, Taylor." She said with a soft smile, as Taylor snickered and moved over to sweep her into his arms, spinning her in a circle quickly before setting her back on her feet.

"Good." He said, grinning broadly as he dug into his pocket for Aleister's note. "Also, this is for you." He said, sniggering at her confused expression as she accepted the note, while he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her from the room. "Now, let's get the hell outta this hole." He said cheerfully, glancing down the hall for Arachnid troops.

Taylor quickly led them back down the hall, half skipping as his heart radiated warmth, hope and joy clamouring throughout him. As they neared the entrance to the lab however, his good humour faded, upon seeing Jake and the others gathered around Sean.

"It's fine... I'll make it." The athlete said upon their approach, grimacing as he clutched at his left leg. Taylor noticed the shine of fresh blood in his pants, and his heart immediately clenched in concern.

"Sean..." He said, laying his hand on the athletes shoulder briefly, before his eyes rose to Jake; and he moved to embrace him worriedly.

"What happened?" Grace gasped, staring around them all in shock, Aleister's note clutched tightly in her palm.

"Got grazed by a bullet." Seen said with a grimace, as Jake and Taylor butted heads gently and exhaled deeply, their eyes meeting in silent reassurance.

 _"Grazed?!"_  Michelle demanded, scowling up at him as she tried to stem its bleeding. "This is a  _wound,_  Sean!" She said, as she reached for her bag. "I need you to take it easy, and not put too much pressure on it..." She added, as she searched for her medkit.

"No time." Jake said, drawing back from Taylor with a reluctant sigh, as he turned to gesture down the hall behind them. "We barely lost Tetra and his grunts back there. They're gonna find us if we wait much longer."

"Can you walk, bro?" Craig asked, glancing at Diego and shifting Varyyn's arm from his shoulder at his nod, exchanging it for Sean's; as he helped the athlete to stand.

"Yeah..." Sean grumbled, limping as he leaned against Craig gratefully. "Let's just get out of here."

As they headed back toward the lab, Zahra pulled a cylindrical device from under her arm, and presented it to Craig, who gasped and grinned gleefully. "Lookie what  _we_  found..." She teased, as he eyed the device hungrily.

"The laser cannon?!" He choked, propping Sean against the wall briefly as he made grabbing gestures towards the cannon. "I thought I wasn't gonna see this again..." He said, finally taking the harness and quickly strapping it to his shoulder.

"Just try not to get  _too_  trigger happy." Zahra snorted, as he proudly strut down the corridor, Sean's arm wrapped around his waist instead of his shoulder. The group hurried towards the elevators, hueeying to press the button for the floor they arrived on, and descending quickly.

"Wait... How are we going to escape?" Grace asked, her eyes wide as she looked over at the giant Omega Mech in nervous awe.

"There's a portal, that's gonna take us far away from here, don't worry." Taylor assured, smiling at her warmly, until movement drew his attention. His heart turned heavy, as his mind immediately brought back the hurtful taunts Fiddler had thrown at him, doubt and uncertainty clouding his thoughts.

"... That Arachnid jerk is in our way." Zahra said, scowling over to where Mike was guarding the time rift, rifle in hand. Jake threw her a brief frown, as she shrugged dismissively.

Just as she was about to defend herself however, a voice drifted across from the other side of the room, its tone dryly admonishing. " **That didn't go very well for you last time.**.." Taylor felt a shiver ripple over his spine, as he slowly turned to look towards the giant mech. " **Step blindly through a door, and you'll suffer whatever consequence lies on the other side."**

"Wh-whose voice is that?" Estela exclaimed, her spear raised as she looked around them nervously.

Taylor pointed towards the mech silently, his eyes narrowing as he stared at its cockpit knowingly. "Only one person we know who's such a  _narcissistic asshole."_  He snarked, as the cockpit of the Omega Mech suddenly filled with light.

" **Stay, my friends... and witness history in the remaking**!" Rourke cheered, beaming down at them all smugly.

"Nuh-uh!" Craig said, shaking his head rapidly as he pointed at the mech in disbelief. "We have the Heart!"

"That you do." Rourke agreed, chuckling derisively, as he tapped at his controls. "And _I,_  have its power." He said smugly, as energy circulated through conduits along the floor, flooding into the Mech. As Rourke's grin spread, the mechanical beast took an earth shattering step forward.

"To the portal..." Taylor murmured, his eyes locked on Rourke as his heart crashed fearfully against his chest.  _"Now!"_  He urged desperately, his loud cries drawing Aleister to come to.

The pale boys eyes widened, as he began struggling at his binds frantically, his eyes locked onto Grace. "Father? What are you-"

 **"Be silent**!" Rourke growled, scowling down at Aleister in disgust. " **Sit and watch, while I do what Prometheus could not... For the fire of the gods is now mine, forever**!" He cried, as a sphere of roiling blue energy expanded to envelop them all.

"No!" Taylor gasped desperately, as he backed out of the energy field, though everyone else remained frozen in place; locked into their fear, shock and anger.  _"No!"_  He cried again, his frantic heartbeat pounding in his ears.

" **You're much too concerned with the material, Taylor, the fleeting.**.." Rourke sighed, shaking his head briefly, before his maniacal grin returned. " **Allow me to liberate you, as I've been liberated!"**  He cried, laughing as everyone inside the sphere began to flicker and fade; the Omega Mech erasing them from time.

 _"Stop!"_  Taylor screamed, his eyes wide as he waved his arms at the mech frantically, as his heart crashed painfully in his throat. "Don't  _do_  this, Rourke!  _Please!"_  He begged, as one by one, his friends began to disappear. "No, Diego! Quinn!  _Everyone! Noo!"_  He cried, falling to his knees, as his chest seemed to cave in from an intense rush of pain.

 _"Grace!"_  Aleister cried, freeing an arm and slicing away his bonds with a snake hilted knife.

" **Not to worry!** " Rourke said cheerfully, smirking down at Taylor gleefully as he stared at Jake, as the pilot flickered dangerously. " **If you want them back, all you'll need is the rest of the Islands Heart.** "

"I know where it is!" Taylor cried pleadingly, his heart fracturing futher with every flicker of his pilot before his eyes. "Please, Rourke! I'll get it for you!  _Anything,_  just  _please-"_

" **You see, Taylor, with the Hearts power, time is our plaything."**  Rourke continued, ignoring Taylors pleas as he sighed contently. " **You could not only save your friends, but anyone you wish... Once, twice, a thousand times over."**  He said, chuckling to himself gleefully. " **Imagine it... A saviour is born**."

 _"Jake..."_  Taylor choked brokenly, his eyes welling with tears as he gasped and clutched at his chest, while Aleister sneered at his father and slammed his hand onto the flashing terminal.

 _"Hrk!"_  Mike gasped, suddenly slumping to the ground, as Taylor shook his head vehemently. He forced himself to push aside his pain, gritting his teeth as he tried to contain his grief and focus his mind.

"Take him and  _go,_  Taylor!" Aleister ordered, only for Taylor to ignore him, his heartache slowly warming, blazing into an inferno of hatred.

" **Ah, my son, my _greatest_  mistake**..." Rourke sighed, shaking his head at Aleister, as the pale boy turned towards him. " **Does it give you a measure of solace to see your father triumph?"**

 _"You..."_  Aleister scoffed, sneering up at the man hatefully. "You were  _never_  a father to me. Everything I cared about is right here in this room; but it certainly doesn't include you... You're no  _god in the machine_." Aleister huffed, scowling up at Rourke, as Taylor slowly pushed to his feet and glared at the pulsing blue energy field. "You're just a scared,  _petty,_  little man; hoping to bend the world to his whim!"

Taylor scowled, reaching forward to graze his fingers against the energy field, smirking as he felt the faint tickle of time within each pulse.

" **Divide and conquer, is the family way, Aleister**." Rourke chuckled, as Taylor grimaced and shoved his hand into the energy field, scowling as it immediately began to try and twist away from him.

"No... not this time." He muttered quietly, his attention focused entirely onto the fluttering weave of time which tried to writhe away from him. He narrowed his eyes, and grabbed the strand tightly, his heart pounding as he forced it to pause in its task; refusing to allow it to complete its task of erasing his friends.

Aleister's gaze fell in the energy conduits, his knuckles turning white around the knife in his grasp. " _So it is."_  He growled, as Taylors scowl deepened, gritting his teeth hard enough to ache; as he forced the strand to slowly begin working backwards.

In one quick motion, Aleister raised his knife, and dove forward, slashing into the wiring at the back of the console. The damaged conduit created a massive energy overload, and Taylor gasped as it rolled over him and sparked wild arcs of blue-white lightning to course over the Omega Mech.  ** _"Gahhhh!"_**  Rourke choked, as Taylor grappled with the strand of time, forcing it to travel back along the power burst towards the mech.

An enormous burst of energy threw Aleister onto his back, a trail of smoke streaming from his body.  _"Arghhh!"_  He cried, arching upwards in pain, as he immediately rolled to his knees, gazing over at Taylor; his eyes wide as he watched him force the strand of time to return along its course.

"Hey, Rourke..." Taylor called, grunting with the effort to redirect the strand of time. He looked up at the hateful man, who stared down at him in disbelief, as the corner of his lip twisted into a smirk. " _Time's up._ " He sneered, hurling the strand of time towards him and collide with the mech, causing a surge of power to blow out several of the core power cells with a great crash of green light.

Simultaneously, the blue sphere dissipated, and his heart lurched suddenly, as his friends reappeared. "Huh?" Sean gasped, his eyes widening as he stared at the mech in shock.

"What the-" Jake snarled, looking down at himself, before turning in time to see Taylor stumble to his knees. Thr pilot darted through the others, shoving them aside as he dropped to his knees and slid to Taylors side, his hands reaching for his face and urging him to look up. "Taylor, wh-"

"Holy  _shit..."_  Taylor choked, flinging his arms around Jake and burying his face in the pilots neck, his relief overwhelming him, as fatigue pulled at the edge of his mind.

"Oh!" Quinn gasped, drawing Taylor to look up quickly, pushing aside his inserting fatigue as he struggled to his feet and stumbled over to embrace her, throwing his other arm around Diego at the same time.

"I'm... back?" Estela gasped, frowning at herself in confusion. She looked over to the mech, and sneered at Rourke, as he rapidly pressed buttons and tried to regain control of the machine.

"Everybody, get to the portal!" Diego cried, patting Taylors arm as he moved away to help Varyyn to the portal.

Taylor turned, as Jake caught sight of Mike collapsed on the floor, his heart lurching suddenly as the pilot scooped him up, while the others all ran for the portal. "C'mon, you bastard... You'd better be alive after all this." He growled quietly, as Taylor swallowed thickly and turned back to Aleister.

The pale bkys face was blackened by scorch, as he met Taylors gaze, his clear eyes filled with awe and shock. "You  _idiot!_  You could've  _died!"_  Grace scolded, distracting them both with a start.

Aleister raised a shaking hand, gesturing urgently to the portal behind her. "Go, while you still can..." He said, pushing to his feet with a wince. "I'll hold them off, buy you some more time."

"Will you get your ass the  _hell_  over here?!" Grace fumed, scowling st him fiercely, as the pale boy balked beneath her fury. "We're  _not_  leaving without you!"

"Grace-" Aleister began, only for Taylor to cough pointedly as he scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life or anything, Aleister..." He hedged, clearing his throat as he glanced down at Grace. "But I'd listen to the small angry person, if I were you."

The dark skinned girl's eyes narrowed dangerously, her entire body quivering with her repressed rage as she scowled at Aleister. " _Get over here!"_  She ordered, and the pale boy quickly staggered towards her, the two of them entering the eddying rift together.

Taylor shook his head fondly, as the rest of his friends followed, the relief in his heart overwhelming him, leaving him with tears constantly rolling down his cheeks; to the point where he stopped trying to wipe them away. He stepped up to the portal, where Diego was waiting for him. "Time for our daring getaway, Taylor." He said warmly, offering his hand.

Taylor slapped his hand into his friends, clutching it tightly as he huffed in amusement. "You don't have to tell  _me_  twice." He giggled, smiling giddily as Diego stepped into the rift ahead of him.

" **Soon, you will understand what you must do, Taylor**..." Rourke growled from behind him, causing Taylors heart to lurch, as he spun towards the mech in shock. " **But in the meantime... how about aparting... gift?** " He chuckled darkly, grinning at Taylor maliciously, as a blue aura surrounded the time rift.

Taylor spun quickly, gazing at his friends in renewed terror, as for a moment they were still visible; until suddenly, the image began to distort before his eyes, like a funhouse mirror. The edges of the rift widened, and Taylor gasped, as he tumbled inside, falling head first through time.  _"Ahhhhh!"_


	7. Interim 7

_**Dear Jake;** _

_All across the island, things started going crazy... sorry, craz-ier. All because of a petty, little man who wanted to play god. Because of a tiny hunk of rock. Because of-_

_You know, I had this pet theory; Cetus was actually just really lonely and secretly just wanted a hug. I thought about giving him one a few times, seeing if I was right, but then he'd piss me off again and... instead, I just wanted to kick his ass._

_There's another theory though, right? About getting your comeuppances? Heh, well, I knew you'd get a little kick outta this one..._

**7.**

**Interim 7.**

**Meanwhile; somewhere on the Eastern coast of La Huerta...**

Seraxa, Taari and the Sabertooth stood together at the waters edge. "You and T'kal can play on the beach until I return." Seraxa said firmly, removing some of her armour and setting in a pile on the sand.

"But I wanna go diving!" Taari complained, glowering up at the green skinned War Chief, as he folded his arms over his chest in an attempt to appear stern. The Sabertooth hung its head, curling its tail around itself as it nudged up against the childs side.

"Taari," Seraxa warned, scowling down at the boy, as his expression fell, turning from fierce to mournful in but a second.

"Fiiiiine." He groaned, rolling his eyes as he turned his back on the War Chief. "Come on, T'kal." He said, pouting as he briefly buried his face in the beasts fur.

"Stay on the sand." Seraxa ordered, glancing up the beach distrustfully. "Do not go past the cliffs. Do you understand?" She demanded, peering down at the small boy, as Taari picked up a long strand of seaweed; and the Sabertooth grabbed the other end, allowing them to begin playing tug of war. The child laughed, as The Sabertooth growled playfully, tugging teasingly at the seaweed. "Taari! Did you hear me?" Seraxa demanded again, scowling at him as he pointedly ignored her.

"Yesss!" He finally groused, throwing a glare over his shoulder. "I'll stay on the sand... but Seraxa better be safe too!" Taari demanded in return, before turning back to his game with the Sabertooth. Seraxa watched them for a long moment, then sighed, and turned to wade into the surf. Once the water was up to her torso, she took a deep breath, and dove in.

Seraxa descended swiftly into a sea trench, propelled by her powerful legs. She arrived at a patch of oyster shells along the trench, and began carving each one free with her knife. In the vast darkness of the deep sea behind her, a pair of green, glowing eyes opened; swiftly followed by another pair, and another. Seraxa scowled as she struggled to get the last pair of oysters, and began stabbing at their bases.

Her blade rang out, as it struck the rock face, with muffled clanks and metallic clangs which seemed to echo all around her. Three huge heads drifted out of the abyss at the sound, slowly drawing closer. One of them was blue and angular, with horns and glowing slits for eyes. The second, was scart; with bulging eyes and a huge lower jaw, full of needle sharp teeth. The third, was green and many finned, with a look eel-like snout. Each head was connected to an incredibly long, serpentine neck, all three of which culminated at the same gigantic body.

Seraxa tensed, suddenly sensing that she was being watched. She turned, and upon seeing Cetus's three heads, she involuntarily screamed. A flood of bubbles drifted up and away, to the safety of the surface, as Seraxa floundered and accidentally gulped a mouthful of water.

" **Rrraaauuuugghh!** " The scarlet head of Cetus released a roar which shook the trench wall, causing the remaining oysters to tumble into the darkness below them. Seraxa froze, paralyzed by fear, as she stared into the glowing eyes of the beast.

 _Please..._  She thought desperately, her heart clamoring at the thought of Taari, left alone because of Cetus; again.  _Endless, Catalysts... anyone! Preserve me!_  She pleaded, as the three enormous heads of Cetus watched Seraxa, considering their prey carefully. Slowly, the heads pulled back into the darkness; their green eyes disappearing into the inky void of the depths.

Seraxa choked, not wasting her reprieve, as she kicked her legs as hard as she could. She returned to the surface swiftly, emerging with a great gasp, only to find the beach empty. "Taari?" She called desperately, stumbling back to the shore hurriedly, as she gazed around frantically for the small boy to no avail. _"Taaaariiii!"_

**Several hours earlier...**

The Endless stared into a blazing lava pool, as an eerie blue-green glow flickered across his weathered face. "Don't worry." He assured warmly, the flame on his mechanical palm flickering uneasily. "We're going to return your core to you... Isn't that what you want?" He asked curiously.

A voice reverberated off the cavern walls, as it rose from the boiling pit. " _All is broken... Broken... all..."_ It wailed pitifully, as the telltale click of a gun being readied, came from somewhere behind The Endless.

"Freeze, Red Riding Hood." Sneered a muscular soldier in a bulky exoskeleton, as The Endless peeked over his shoulder, raising a brow in surprise. "And I here I thought you didn't like the nickname spiel..."

"Rex Lundgren." He said knowingly, a glimmer of hatred sparking in his eyes. "I'd say it was a pleasure, but..." He sighed, spreading his palms and chuckling to himself in amusement, as Lundgren approached, his assault rifle trained on the elderly mans head.

"I've heard about you." Lundgren sneered, scoffing as he ran his eyes over him and shook his head in disgust. "Try any of your tricks, and I can end this conversation  _real_  quick."

"What do you want, Mr. Lundgren?" The Endless demanded, a hateful glare finally marring his face as he watched the military commander over his shoulder.

"Seems The Islands Heart is incomplete." Lundgren sneered, tapping his gun to The Endless's red space suit thoughtfully. "Where's the rest of it?"

" _Scattered..._ " Came the wailing voice from within the bubbling pit before them, its yearning, mournful tone echoing around the chamber. " _Lost!_ " It cried longingly.

"I said no tricks!" Lundgren warned, scowling as The Endless extinguished the ball of fire hovering over his palm, and raised both hands in placation.

"Heart?" He asked innocently, his eyes wide as he shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "I don't know what you're talking about." He denied glibly, smiling sweetly at the soldier.

"Like  _hell_  you don't." Ludgren growled, his eyes narrowing at the elderly man knowingly. He swung his rifle up, and slammed it against the side of The Endless's head.

 "Hrgh!" The Endless gasped, as he fell to his knees, and began desperately crawling towards the pit. Lundgren grabbed the back of his head, holding him in place and preventing his escape.

"Taylor's bringing it to you, isn't he?" Lundgren demanded, scowling when The Endless stubbornly remained silent. "I want that boy. Rumour has it, he's you... minus a few wrinkles. Course, he won't get the chance to reach half the age you have." The soldier sneered, chuckling in dark humour as he leaned closer. "Where is he taking the Heart?" He asked quietly, jerking The Endless's hair sharply when the old man bit his tongue, rather than reply. " _Tell me_!"

A hovering spectre appeared next to Lundgren, a swirling vortex of darkness and fire radiating from them in their ire. Vaanu took Lundgren's head in its ghostly hands, and the soldier gasped and convulsed suddenly, releasing The Endless.

The miliary commander's face contorted in pure terror, as the spirit forced him to experience a vision. "But they're  _dead..."_  Lundgren gasped, his cigar almost falling from his mouth as his jaw fell slack in shock. "I killed them. All of them!" He cried, beginning to struggle as his fear tried to consume him. "I don't wanna see this... Make it stop, dammit! Make it-" He broke off with a sharp gasp, before screaming loudly in fear.  _"Arghhhhh!"_ He cried, as he finally managed to pull away, and immediately fled down a tunnel as fast as he could.

Vaanu's arms lowered to its sides, and it hovered silently, watching The Endless; as The Endless watched it, still gasping for breath on the ground. "You..." He choked, as the spirit began to fade. The Endless cast a nervous glance into the pool behind him, a flicker of remorse appearing in his eyes, until he abruptly turned and crawled away.

 

 

 


	8. Where I Needed You To Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this an hour ago... but i fell asleep. I managed to save it from being half deleted too so, bonus brownie point for me please... XD  
> Seriously, i just had the weordsst dream ever... it was awesome - but its fasing already  
>  Im pretty updet.
> 
> Uh, sorry for rambling. Anyway i really really hope you enjoy this, i am HOPING to have another chaptrr ready thursday sometime <3 til then, i hope you enjoy this slice xxx
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I have no idea how I got through it, but I did... It was hell, and I hope I didn't make it too awful for everyone else, but... Yeah. Not good._

_I can handle all the crazy shit we go through... I can handle Rourke, Tetra, Fiddler; hell, I could handle Quinn's teasing me about using the word 'handle'... But not knowing?_

_... That alone almost killed me_.

**8.**

**Where I Needed You To Be**.

Taylor reached out frantically for something to grasp, but he was falling through intangible light and colour. Another time rift opened below him, and through it, he was barely able to make out a field.  _That is not Quarr'tel_... He thought desperately, groaning as he dropped towards the rift fast.  _Where the hell am I going now?_  He wondered, before he emerged from the rift and began plummeting towards an opulent garden party. He glanced around as other bodies appeared around him, his friends falling with him towards the party. _Time to improvise a landing_! He thought, his eyes widening at the rapidly approaching ground.

Taylor glanced down to see Craig land safely in the grass below him, until Taylor dropped on top of him.  _"Ow!"_  The jock cried, groaning as Taylor scrabbled off him quickly. "Leave my kidneys alone, brah!"

"Sorry." Taylor said, scrubbing the back of his neck guiltily, as he tried to hide the twitch of amusement at the corner of his lips.

"Guys, where are Jake and Mike?" Sean asked, looking around for the pair with wide eyes.

"They're..." Taylor began, looking around for the pilots, his face slowly falling in realisation. "Jake?" He called uncertainly, his eyes drifting over each of his friends, as they looked towards Sean nervously. "Jake..?" He called louder, walking in a small circle around their landing point, as his heart began to beat heavier in his chest.  _"Jake!_  Where are you?" He tried again, as a shiver ran over his spine, the first tendril of fear prickling in his gut. "Seriously? Get the hell out here, Top Gun... This  _isn't_  funny!" He called, frustration nipping at his nerves as he ducked around the nearest hedge and searched for his pilot.

Estela stared up at the wavering rift worriedly, biting her lip in concern. "I saw them go in..." She said, shaking her head as she looked back down to see Taylor running his hands through his hair in growing agitation. "They should have already come through by now!"

"Jake!" Taylor called, chewing a nail as he grimaced, his eyes stinging with frustration and mounting concern. "I forgive you for earlier!" He tried, desperation colouring his tone, as he choked and tugged at his hair.  _"Jake..!"_

"Oh god..." Quinn gasped, her eyes widening as she was struck by a sudden thought. "Are they still with Rourke?" She wondered aloud, as Diego groaned, shaking his head at her in frustration.

"Yeah, good luck getting through to  _that_  now..." He sighed, gesturing to where Taylor was vehemently shaking his head in denial.

"Come on, come  _on..."_  Taylor muttered frantically, flexing his hands as he tried to find a strand of time. "Just like before, come on _, come on_!" He growled, turning and swinging his fist through the air with a howl of denial. "Jake!" He called, his eyes burning as they blurred with his overflowing tears. "You... You get your  _goddamn ass_  out here, right now, Top Gun!" He sniffed weakly, his lip trembling as his heart crashed painfully against his chest. "...  _Please,_  Jake..." He choked, burying his face in his hands, as Quinn's arms wrapped around his torso.

"I think they got dragged through another one of those holes, after everything went swirly." Kele said hesitantly, as Taylor bit his lip and shivered heavily, trying to hold back the surging emotions which felt like they were crushing his heart.

"Uh... guys?" Diego called uncertainly, as Quinn slowly convinced Taylor to turn and embrace her, running her hand through his hair gently as she made soothing sounds of comfort.

"Quinn, what if-" Taylor choked brokenly, sucking in a huge hasp of air, though he felt as if he hadn't taken a single breath for several minutes. "Wh-what if, I... Oh god, no..." He mumbled, as Quinn squeezed him tightly.

"Hey, Jake is the single toughest son of a bitch, I have ever met." Quinn said firmly, drawing back to clasp Taylors face between her palms, forcing his frantic dark blue eyes to meet her own crystalline, confident gaze. "He is  _not_  about to let you stay away from his side for long, so you just think like Jake-"

Taylor scoffed, the first tinge of amusement passing the boundaries of his rising hysteria, as he considered the thought process of his pilot. "Okay, so not  _just_  like Jake..." Quinn corrected gently, rolling her eyes at the one track mindedness of the pair. "But at least think like  _soldier_  Jake... Think; what would he do right now?"

"Other than whine, and complain about missing Taylor?" Estela scoffed, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms over her chest and gazed over at Taylor intently. "Or the sounds Taylor makes as he sleeps? Or the way Taylor slips him extra food when he thinks he isn't looking? Or how Taylor has 'Property of Jake McKenzie' tattooed on his ass-"

 _"I do not!_ " Taylor yelped, jerking back from Quinn as he stared at Estela in shock. " _What the hell has he been telling you_?!" He demanded, his eyes wide as Estela snorted and stepped closer to pat his cheek.

"Way more than I ever wished to know." She said darkly, smirking as she shifted her gaze to Quinn. "Don't try to reassure him... Distract him." She said wisely, before moving away.

"Wait, how did you know-" Quinn began, staring after Estela in wide eyed surprise.

"Three days, I spent listening to McKenzie whining..." Estela groused, pausing and glancing back over her shoulder.  _"Three. Days."_  She growled, shaking her head as she turned and continued over to the others, who were gathering around where Aleister was bracing his hands on his knees, wincing at the pain of his burns.

"They must be in an entirely separate time period." The pale boy said slowly, glancing over at Taylor shamefully. "This is all my fault..." He began, as Taylor felt guilt gnaw at his gut.

"Guys-" Diego called again, as Zahra pulled the first half of The Islands Heart out of her bag. "We still got this, at least..." She said over him, shrugging her shoulders apologetically.

Taylor sighed, running his hands through his hair again, before dropping them to his sides suddenly with a clap. "Okay... Okay, I'm.. I'm sorry. This isn't your fault, okay, Aleister? I just, I need you to know that I don't think that, 'cause it's not true." He said, rambling despite his best efforts to control himself. "We've been apart before, we can figure this out... He'll be fine." He said firmly, though his breaking voice belied his confident delivery.

"Oh, Taylor..." Quinn sighed, rubbing her hand over his shoulder affectionately. "He really  _will._  He's smart and has all the training he could need to keep them both safe." She said, frowning as Taylor winced and turned away.

 _The both of them, stranded alone together; and no programming between them anymore_. He thought against his own wishes, his stomach churning with nausea, as he shoved the thought away viciously. "Shut up,  _shut up..."_  He whispered, scrubbing a hand over his eyes tiredly.  _Estela just got finished listing all the ways Jake drove her nuts, last time we were separated... I can't let this get the better of me now. We have to get out of here, and find them!_  He thought, swallowing heavily as he turned back to the others. "You're right Quinn, they'll be fine... We have to focus on this, wherever the hell we are... and how to get back to them."

"That's the spirit, Taylor..." Quinn giggled, her shoulders falling in obvious relief, as he leaned against her side briefly and allowed himself to be comforted by the fact that his other friends were safe at least.

"Guys!" Diego growled, scowling as he turned and gestured at the all sharply, finally drawing their attention towards him. "Thankyou  _so_  much for finally noticing me. Now if you would all please look towards the terrified stranger..." He snarked, pointing at a man in a threadbare suit, who was staring at them and visibly shaking.

"W-where did you come from?" He demanded, looking around them all nervously. "Who are you?"

"Uh..." Taylor hedged, peeking at Quinn briefly, only for the redhead to shrug unhelpfully. "We're... time travellers?" He offered weakly, frowning as Quinn scowled and stomped on his foot.  _"Ow, what?!_  You didn't have any better ideas!" He whispered furiously, as her rubbed his foot against the back of his other leg.

"Taylor,  _any_  idea is a better idea than  _that!"_  She said waspishly, narrowing her eyes as Taylor rolled his own and muttered to himself loudly.

"Blah, blah, blah; do it yourself Taylor... Oh no, wait, I didn't mean like that Taylor!" He snarked sarcastically, using his hand as a puppet Quinn to tell himself off, before pecking her with his fingers and hissing like a swan.

"You know, sometimes I worry about them." Estela said thoughtfully, watching from just behind the pair as Quinn giggled and ducked Taylors swan hand.

"Only  _sometimes?"_  Diego groaned wearily, his voice muffled from where he'd hidden it behind his hands.

"Hmm..." Estela hummed in confirmation, watching Taylor duck and strike quickly, nipping Quinn's side as a small grin flit across his face. "It'd mean she's as much of an idiot as he is."

"You guys do realise we can hear you?" Taylor snarked, turning towards them with a scowl.

Estela and Diego exchanged a glance, Diego peeking up from under his hand at the dark haired girl, before they both turned to look at him.  _"Yes."_

"Right. Thanks." Taylor groused, rolling his eyes at the pair, as they snickered at him. He blinked turning back to the stranger before them with a small start of surprise. "Oh! ... Hello, again... Um, don't mind them. They're just jealo-"

"Time travellers?" The man said suddenly, his eyes wide as he stared in disbelief.

"Uh... Yes..." Taylor hedged, pecking at Quinn briefly as he watched the man carefully, as she frowned at him.

"Time travellers..." The man repeated again, his brows raising impossibly high, his shock easily decipherable in his stunned gaze.

"Once again... Yes." Taylor said slowly, frowning at the newcomer in growing frustration. "Would you like me to illustrate it as well?  _Ow!"_  Taylor grumbled, scowling at Quinn as he rubbed his elbow, still sore from the redheads fierce jab.

"Time... travel-"the mans face cleared of its shock suddenly, swept away by fury as he folded his arms over his chest and scowled at them. "Oh, please. You work for Barnaby, don't you! You're here to rough me up?" He accused hotly.

"Literally, do not know anyone called Barnaby, dude... Except the guy John Nettles played, he was a Barnaby, I thi-  _ow!"_  Taylor yelped, scowling at the redhead, as she jabbed him again.

"Taylor, stop being so antagonistic!" Quinn scolded, scowling back at him as she pointed her finger accusingly. "You're being an ass, and you  _know_  it!"

Taylor sighed, running a hand across the back of his neck guiltily. "I know..." He admitted, his expression twisting briefly as grief and fear tried to consume him. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't know how else to cope with this, gnawing hole... Quinn, I-"

"I know, Taylor _, I know_." She said, resting her head on his shoulder as she rubbed his arm. "But you know we're gonna find him... Or hey, maybe he'll find you. He's had plenty of practice now..." She said, drawing a reluctant huff from Taylor, as he looked down and squeezed her hand in appreciation.

"Hang on." Sean said, holding up his hands in placation as he looked over at the stranger. "I don't know what's going on here, but-"

"Well," the stranger interrupted sharply, scowling as he jabbed a finger towards Sean. "You can tell your employer that I'm reporting him to the  _authorities!"_  He barked, before promptly turning and dashing through the entrance of a nearby hedge maze.

"Whoops." Raj mumbled, scratching his chin as he stared after the young man guiltily. The sound of live music striking up drew Taylors attention, and he glanced around the garden to see guests in formal attire were dancing and sipping champagne, their faces concealed behind elaborate masks.

"I don't think anyone else has spotted us yet..." Diego whispered, his eyes widening as he stared at the cluster of bodies dancing gracefully together.

"Hey idiots, can we hide now?" Zahra snarked, scowling at them as she backed away from the gathering. "Unless you  _want_  to cause a time paradox?"

"We could follow that man into the hedges..." Quinn suggested, as Taylor took a deep breath and tried to shove everything he felt into a small room at the back of his mind. "But we might scare him even more." She added, her cheeks puffing as she pouted around them uncertainly.

"Pretty much our only option right now!" Craig said, as he gazed around the milling guests nervously, leading the group as they rushed over to the maze entrance.

Electric lights twinkled among the carefully tended foliage, and Taylor shook his head to firmly shove away the thought of how it seemed entirely bland without his pilot to share the beautiful scenery with. "So where... or  _when_  are we?" He asked by way of distraction, trying hard to focus himself.

"Judging from these light bulbs-" Grace began, stepping closer to the lights as she gestured towards them lightly.

"Filaments like these were only produced for a few years after World War One." Aleister said at the same time, wincing as Michelle applied some of her healing leaf poultice to his burns. "That would place us-"

 _"Ahem!"_  Grace coughed loudly, raising her brow at Aleister pointedly. "I was speaking." She said slowly, as Aleister dropped his gaze to his feet and fell silent. "We've probably arrived, in the early nineteen twenties." She concluded, glaring at the pale boy as an awkward silence hung in the air between them.

"Yes." Aleister finally said, clearing his throat loudly as he raised his eyes to Grace's reluctantly. "Very astute."

"Yo, we'll be older than The Endless when we finally catch up to our own time..." Craig groaned, running his hands over his hair as Zahra rolled her eyes at him affectionately.

"We're not gonna just wait ninety years, ya dork." She snorted, jabbing him in the arm playfully.

"Whatever we do, we need to find a way back to Jake and Mike..." Taylor mumbled, his face falling as he thought of his pilot lost in time; with the one person Taylor feared most.

A bright flash startled him from his thoughts suddenly, and he looked around the maze to find Varyyn looking down at himself in confusion. "What? What is this?!" The Elyyshar demanded, as his body shimmered eerily, and various items on his person began to fade from view.

"Varyyn!" Diego choked, rushing over to the Vaanti's side. "Are you okay?" He asked, running his eyes over the Elyyshar nervously, as he grasped his shoulders. "Please don't disappear.  _Please."_  He begged, only for Varyyn to shake his head distractedly.

"Not  _me._  Objects..." Varyyn said slowly, his eyes widening as he stared down at himself. "Made by my friends, my family... My subjects." He explained, watching helplessly as the items began to vanish with small bursts of light. "Taari had given me that bracelet... Seraxa, that ceremonial knife... And my mother designed those tattoos." He said dejectedly, his face falling as he stared down at the empty voids where his treasured possessions had been.

"Wait..." Taylor said suddenly, his eyes widening as he recalled a similar such phenomena. "We've seen this before!" He said, as Zahra snapped her fingers at him in realisation.

"The helicopter back at  **MASADA!"**  She said, her eyes widening as she thought back to their escape from the complex. "It was jumping between realities, because the past was in flux..." She explained, frowning as she looked around them thoughtfully.

"But, if things given to Varyyn are fading away, that means..." Quinn said slowly, her eyes clouded by concern.

"The Vaanti are at risk..." Taylor sighed, scrubbing his hand over his face tiredly, distracting himself from the aching in his heart, at the uncertainty of his pilots fate. "Think about it... The helicopter almost disappeared because Jake hadn't turned himself in." He said, dropping his hand to his hip as he tipped his chin towards the Elyyshar. "So, if everything Varyyn has that he didn't make, is disappearing... then a paradox in this timeline, might be erasing the people who  _did_  make them."

"That can be the only conclusion, yes." Aleister hummed thoughtfully, frowning at the Vaanti in concern.

"N-no!" Varyyn cried, his eyes wide and frantic as he gazed around them all. "My people! I must do something!" He said, clutching at the items desperately, his chin quivering when his hands passed straight through them.

"Varyyn..." Diego murmured, his expression twisting with grief for the Vaanti king, as he watched his frantic struggle helplessly.

"Let's think for a sec..." Zahra said, shaking her head briefly in frustration. "If we didn't show up here, what wouldn't have happened?" She asked, looking around them all curiously.

"We wouldn't have made that man fear for his life?" Quinn guessed, as Taylor sucked in a deep breath and stared vacantly into the distance, barely listening to the discussion.

"And, he probably would've gone to that party." Michelle added, winking at Quinn as they touched palms in a dainty high five.

"I don't know if it was us he was really afraid of, though." Sean said, as he frowned thoughtfully. "He said a name..." He added, as Grace peered around the hedge towards the festivities.

"Did anyone notice that one of the guests looked kind of like a bride?" She asked, pulling back around the hedge with wide eyes. "And why are they all wearing masks?" She asked confusedly, as Varyyn looked up suddenly, stunned by the revelation.

"... Masks are a sacred part of Vaanti culture," he explained, shaking his head in disbelief as his eyes met Diego's. "Because they were worn by the very first of our people!"

 _"Ohmygod."_  Diego gasped, his eyes widening in sudden realisation. "It's  _that_  wedding... The one in the creation myth of the Vaanti!"

Taylor was suddenly struck by the strange carvings of the masked bride and guests, back in the Valley of the Tombs.  _Where Jake_ \- he began to recall, only to swallow thickly and pinch the thought off quickly. "So, it all started with a masquerade themed wedding..." he said, his heart clenching at the thought of not only being lost in the past, but stuck at a wedding to boot.  _Stupid, sadistic, irony_. He thought sourly, pouting down at the floor.

"Alright." Sean said, running his hand over his hair as he sighed. "We should probably...  _Ugh!"_  He gasped suddenly, grabbing at his thigh.

"Sean, you  _literally_  have a bullet in your leg." Michelle growled, scowling as she grabbed her bag and rummaged through for her medkit. "Now sit down, so I can take it out!" She ordered sharply, forcing him to sit against the hedge.

As the blonde set to work on Sean's leg, Taylor looked around for a fresh distraction, and noticed Raj straining to reach under a hedge; his brows rising in distant amusement, as the large boy struggled determinedly. "Something's... down here..." He growled, making a final effort to stretch his arm forward, and pulling out a weathered suitcase with a smug chuckle.  _"Hello..._  What's this?"

"I think the more important question is; why the hell is it under a hedge?" Taylor asked, wandering closer with Grace.

"It looks like it was forgotten under there for awhile..." Grace said thoughtfully, as Craig help Raj bust open the rusted latches. Inside, lavish fabrics glittered in the soft light.

"I think we just scored a disguise or two, dudes!" Raj cheered, beaming a wide grin around the group as he stepped back, allowing Quinn to inspect the contents of the suitcase.

"Taylor, this looks like its your size..." She said, pulling out a few items and handing them to him carefully. "Try it on!" She said cheerfully, though her eyes betrayed her concern.

Taylor smiled weakly and took the clothes, appreciating her effort to distract him. He moved slightly deeper into the maze and stepped around the corner, quickly dropping his bag and stripping off his Anachronist gear, refusing to let himself think of the last time he'd changed. Without thinking, he pulled on the white pants, blue shirt and brown waistcoat. He stared vacantly at the opposite hedge as he tied the yellow tie, and swung the jacket over his arms quickly, before crouching to chuck his Anachronist gear in his bag. He took a deep breath and forced himself to focus, before rounding the corner again.

"Taylor," Diego gasped, his eyes wide as he ran them over Taylor in awe. "You look like something out of  _The Great Gatsby_!" He said, as Taylor raised a brow and looked down at himself curiously.

"Look at you, Valentino!" Kele said brightly, eyeing the suit with obvious admiration.

"... Is it Valentino?!" Michelle gasped, her eyes widening as she finished bandaging Sean's thigh and looked over.

"I believe he means the movie star, not the designer..." Aleister said, clearing his throat slightly, as he scratched vaguely at the poultice drying on his burns. "An apt comparison to Taylor, actually."

"I love the cut of it on you, Taylor!" Quinn gushed, skipping over and taking his hands in her own, giggling as she held them out to examine him properly. "You look amazing!" She insisted firmly, beaming her approval, as she grabbed his bag and tossed it to Diego. "But not with that monstrosity..." She giggled, before going back to the suitcase. "Looks like that's about all that's useable out of what's in there... The rest of us will have to go as is."

"Alright..." Taylor said, a small grin curling his lips at the redheads enthusiasm. "If we can fix the paradox we created here, maybe it'll stabilize whatever's going on with that time rift." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he scuffed his shoes against the floor.

"Worth a try." Estela said, nodding her head sharply. "And then, we can find-"

"So," Taylor said abruptly, averting his gaze as he cut Estela off, his heart clenching nervously. "I'll sneak in as a guest, and the rest of you can pose as servants." He said, as his friends exchanged a knowing glance.

"Messing with the past might be asking for trouble..." Grace warned, frowning as she tapped her fingers together nervously.

"Then we'll take every step with care." Sean assured, as he groaned and pushed to his feet awkwardly. "It's all we got right now." He added, as Aleister cleared his face of the remaining poultice as best he could and straightened his clothes.

"I'll wait here." Varyyn said dejectedly, shaking his head sadly. "I can't risk my connection to Vaanti history creating any more problems."

"I'm staying with you." Diego said immediately, his hand slipping into Varyyn's and squeezing firmly. Taylor flinched at the show of affection, though he clapped Diego on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Okay, you two." He said, offering a weak smile as Diego raised his hand to grip his own supportively. "We'll be back as soon as we can." He said, stepping back and turning to the maze entrance.

Taylor took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly, forcing himself to shove all his emotions to the bottom of his heart. He exhaled heavily, opened his eyes and plastered a smile to his face as he strode forward with a confidence he did not in any way feel. As he approached the party, a few eyes danced over his attire, but his presence passed otherwise unquestioned. His friends followed behind him, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. At a banquet table, a waiter was carving an entire baked pig, while a group of masked guests conversed nearby.

"So he let her go!" One cried incredulously, laughing raucously a his eyes glimmered maliciously through his wolf mask, causing Taylors heart to twist sharply. "Why the Rosencrafts were keepin' staff who couldn't even polish silver, who the heck knows?"

"They were unaccustomed to service, Ralston." Another man replied, his elephant mask elegantly trimmed with gold. Taylor saw a waiter passing with a tray of champagne flutes, and he grabbed one with each hand, quickly downing one and returning the empty glass to the tray. "Rosencraft senior knew as little about leading a household as he did leading a family." The man sneered, chuckling at his own comment.

Taylor snorted as he spotted a pamphlet lying in the grass near his feet, and bent to pick it up.  _A schedule of Events, for the Marriage of Flora Sullivan and Arthur Barnaby_. He read silently, frowning as he remembered the padlock he'd found in the reef.  _But... It said Flora loved Eugene, not Arthur._  He thought, tracing his thumb over the pamphlet thoughtfully.

Taylor cleared his throat abruptly, sipping his remaining champagne, as he folded the pamphlet and stuffed it into his pocket. He looked around his friends, as Aleister led Craig, Zahra and Quinn in setting the table to keep up their ruse. "For  _pity's sake,_  Craig, all of your forks are out of place!" The pale boy said scathingly, scowling at the jock's attempts to follow his example. "It's salad first, then entrée..."

"Why do rich people need more than one fork?" Craig demanded, glaring at the table in irritation. "What's the difference?" He snorted.

"One's for going in their mouths," Zahra snickered, winking at Craig conspiratorially. "And the others are for sticking up their-"

"O-okay then!" Quinn interrupted loudly, as Taylor sniggered and bumped his fist to Zahra's. "Wanna explain that again, Aleister?" She asked, as Taylor finished off his champagne and set the empty glass on the table they were setting. "Taylor-" Quinn said, frowning as she looked between him and his glass, just as Taylor heard sniffling near a secluded tree.

He walked over to investigate, quickly ducking away from Quinn's imminent scolding. As his friends noticed his intention, a few of them following him curiously. Taylor walked through a flowered archway, and on the other side, he discovered the woman in the bridal gown they'd seen earlier.

"How am I to even go about this?" She choked, her hands gripping at the bench beneath a large tree. "I can't possibly..." She gasped, pulling off her mask to begin weeping into her hands. Taylor bit his lip, and tentatively approached her. "Oh! W-who-" She stammered, pausing mid-startle to look him over. "Forgive me, I'm not sure we've met. That's a... ducky outfit, by the way." She said, wiping at her eyes delicately and painting an unconvincing smile on her face.

"... We heard someone crying." Taylor said awkwardly, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb, as his friends approached behind him.

"It's not in our nature to ignore the sobs of a lady, Miss Sullivan." Aleister said, dipping his head in a light bow of recognition.

"Ah!" She gasped, blushing faintly as she brushed her hair from her eyes. "You... have me at a disadvantage, then. I do not know you."

"I'm Taylor." He said, before gesturing to his friends in turn. "This is Aleister, Estela, Grace and Zahra." He introduced them, smiling softly as they stepped forward.

"Pleasure to meet you." Grace said, smiling over at the bride warmly.

"Flora Sullivan." She replied, dabbing at her eyes as she giggled and flushed embarrassedly.

"Flora," Taylor began, his face falling in sympathy. "I know it's hard to face a decision like this..." He said, offering her his hand tentatively. "If there's anything you want to talk about, I...  _We,_  can at least listen."

"You can trust Taylor." Estela said firmly, folding her arms over her chest as her cheeks flushed pink. "I certainly do." She added, almost reluctantly.

"High praise from the ever suspicious Kat-" Taylor began, coughing as he barely stopped himself using Jake's nickname of choice. Estela smiled reluctantly, jostling his arm with her own fondly as he grinned back ignoring the tightness of his throat.

"You're speaking to one of the most morally sound people I know, madam." Aleister added, looking over at him with a small smirk.

"Was a man supposed to meet you here?" Taylor asked, frowning as he thought of the padlock again, while Flora stared at him in astonishment.

"...  _Eugene?"_  She choked, her hand covering her heart as her eyes watered anew. "Where is he? What do you know?" She pleaded, her free hand grasping Taylors desperately.

"He's fine." Taylor assured, squeezing her hand gently. "But, I really need to know more about what's going on, if I'm going to help..." He added, purposely not mentioning how they'd startled him.

Flora considered him for a long moment, before sighing and shaking her head. "I'm not even sure where to begin. You probably wouldn't believe me anyway." She huffed, withdrawing her hand as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"I don't know about that." Taylor laughed lightly, glancing around his friends as they grinned at each other knowingly. "We've... been through a lot. At this point, we tend to believe first and doubt later." He snickered quietly.

Flora smiled, but the gesture didn't reach her eyes, which continued to water sadly. "Tomorrow..." She began hesitantly, frowning as she tried to force the words past reluctant lips. "I'm supposed to marry a man I don't love." She finally said, as she lowered her gaze to the floor. "Arthur is very practical, I'll give him that. But, I suppose my heart doesn't exactly swoon for practicality." She sighed, looking back up at him resignedly.

"I'm guessing there's someone  _impractical_  in the picture?" Taylor guessed knowingly, smiling softly when the woman giggled and brightened considerably.

"Well..." Flora hedged, sighing heavily and brushing away the glistening remnant of a tear from her cheek. "So  _foolish!"_  She scolded herself, scowling at the tear on her fingers. "I should've known after Neptune Cove that he wouldn't come. He'd bought a ring, but it was just..." She sighed, frowning as she shook her head sadly. "It was just to  _soon!_  So, I tried to make it up to him at the cove, and he never-"

A woman's voice shouting insistently over the music drew their attention suddenly. "Flora! Flora, where are you?" They called, and Flora's eyes widened in fear.

"I must leave!" She cried suddenly, turning to grab her mask. Her gaze returned to Taylors urgently, as she refastened it to her face. "Please keep Eugene out of harms way... Arthur wants him dead." She warned, hurrying off without another word.

As Taylor returned to the party, the gentleman in the elephant mask approached him. "Ah. Good evening." He said amiably, as Taylor grabbed another champagne from a cluster of filled glasses on a nearby table. "I hope the travel to our venue wasn't too stressful, what with that storm over the sea." He said warmly, as Taylor tipped his glass and purposely took a drink before answering.

"Your venue..." He said, raising his brows as he set his empty glass on the table. "Oh, not at all!" He said, suddenly realising he wouldn't be expected to have arrive through a time rift. "You must be Mr. Barnaby. Congratulations," he said by way of distraction, plucking another glass of champagne from the display and raising it towards the man. "I'm sure you'll both be very happy." He lied, smiling widely, as the man offered a slight nod in thanks. Taylor drank his champagne slowly, as an awkward silence fell over them, finding his gaze drifting towards an imposing manor house.

"Quite a place, no?" Arthur asked, noticing his interest. "Thanks to the Rosencrafts' poor judgement, this entire estate was practically owned by the banks." He said smugly, as Taylor grit his teeth and tried not let his smile slip, his fingers tightening on the champagne flute as the smug mans words set his nerves on edge.

"Quack job who lived here before thought he could 'enhance humankind' with his little pills." Ralston sneered derisively, as Taylor avoided looking toward his wolf mask.

Arthur's free hand clenched into a fist at his side, his arm quivering with rage. "We'll not speak of him."He barked sharply, as Ralston immediately quieted. "Eugene is a fool and a miscreant... How  _dare_  he try to place himself between my beloved and I?"

"... Knows better now, don't he?  _Eheheh."_  Ralston sniggered maliciously. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air among the surrounding guests, unsettled by the mans sinister words.

"Well..." Taylor hummed, rocking back on his heels as he set his empty glass to the table with a mock salute. "Seems like everything's sorted out. I'll leave you to it." He said, clicking his tongue as he aimed finger guns at Arthur and feigned a wide smile, as he turned away.

It was then he spotted him, staring through the shrubbery. Eugene was clearly looking for Flora, his brows furrowed as he frantically tried to search the crowd without revealing himself. He froze suddenly, realizing he'd been spotted, before taking off at a sprint. "Dude, not again..." Taylor huffed, setting off after him.  _"Wait!_  I need to talk to you!" He called, as Eugene ran back towards the maze with Taylor in close pursuit. His friends noticed his dash, and rushed after him. "Eugene, wait!" Taylor called, as they darted into the maze. "Flora sent me!" He said, and at the sound of her name, Eugene froze and turned back.

"Flora..?" He exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes wide as he panted lightly. "Is she alright?" He asked, stepping back as Taylor stumbled to a halt before him.

"Oops..." He snickered, before clearing his throat and shaking his head, trying to clear the faint haze of tipsiness from his mind. Diego and Varyyn rounded a corner at the opposite end of the maze, and Eugene glanced behind himself, before looking back to Taylor; realizing he'd been trapped.

"If you're working for Barnaby, just get it over with already." He ordered bravely, scowling as his hands curled into tight fists.

"Dude, we do not work for Bartle-, for Bumble-" Taylor said, shaking his head and growling as he failed to get his tongue to cooperate.

"What my idiot friend is trying to say, is relax... Okay?" Diego said, throwing a withering glare at Taylor briefly, before looking back to Eugene and raising his palms in placation. "We don't work for anybody."

"That, that... What he said.  _That."_  Taylor said, pointing at Diego and grinning in relief. "He's my friend.  _He knows."_  He said proudly, snickering briefly, before clearing his throat and forcing himself to concentrate. "Look, Eugene... I know about the ring, and Neptune's Cove." He said slowly, beaming ay Diego when he got the words right, only for his friend to roll his eyes at him in exasperation.

"How do you know about that?!" Eugene gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylor in awe.

 _"Sheee_  told  _meee..."_  Taylor said slowly, taking a deep breath as he huffed a small chuckle. "Okay, we are all friends here. Let's just... talk about this." He said, spreading his palms to the other man.

"A-alright... Alright." Eugene finally sighed, lowering his gaze to the floor in defeat.

"That's Taylor." Sean huffed in amusement, his gaze sympathetic as he looked over to him. "Diplomat and group counsellor, all in one."

"He's also the group drunk for the day, apparently." Quinn said, scowling as she swatted his arm, only for him to pout at her and rub at the offended spot accusingly. "But, even then... He's literally, the best person to tell all your troubles to." She sighed, rolling her eyes at him fondly.

Taylor sighed, guilt gnawing at him briefly, before he pushed it away with the rest of his emotions. He started, as Quinn leaned against his side reassuringly, drawing his arm around her shoulders as she peeked up at him with a coy grin. He snickered, and grinned back fondly, squeezing her gently.

A flood of emotion twisted Eugene's features, and he ran a hand over his face wearily. "I would've given her everything. I told her as much... and, she turned me away." He said, his expression hardening into a furious scowl. "And then that bastard Barnaby swept in and took my everything. My home, my business... And now, Flora." He said tiredly, huffing a dry, unamused chuckle.

"She's clearly trying to protect you." Aleister said, as Taylor nodded along, recalling Flora's desperate plea to keep Eugene safe. "She knows what Arthur wants to do to you."

"Eugene..." Taylor said, snapping his fingers at Diego and gesturing him to approach. "She tried to make it up to you." He said, quickly rummaging through his bag and drawing out the padlock he'd found in Neptune Cove, dropping it into Eugene's hands.

"What is thi-" Eugene began, frowning as he ran his fingers over the heavy metal. He turned it over, and his brows rose incredulously at the message inscribed. "'No land, no sea, no on will keep us apart.' She made this?" He asked in disbelief, half raising it towards Taylor, as he nodded in reply.

"Taylor, where did you get that?" Michelle gasped, staring at the metal padlock in wide eyed surprise.

 _"Fouuund_  it..." Taylor snickered, as Michelle rolled her eyes and muttered to herself. Sean put his arm around her shoulder and leaned close to her ear, explaining quietly about their dive for the second half of The Islands Heart.

"I wrote a message on the back of Z's computer lock once..." Craig recalled wistfully.

"'Zahra smells' isn't exactly love poetry, loser." Zahra scoffed, nudging his shoulder affectionately, as Eugene gasped.

Sobs welled up in his throat, as he stated down at the padlock longingly. "Oh, Flora... I had no idea!" He choked, his eyes crinkling with his grief. "I'd thought she was going to tell me never to see her again!" He said, turning the lock over on his hands again. "That was over a year ago though... Look at the wear on this. She may still not feel that way."

"Pfft, yeah, you're an idiot if you think that du- ow!" Taylor choked, wincing as Quinn firmly stomped on his foot, while smiling warmly at Eugene. Taylor sighed and rolled his eyes, clearing his throat before trying again. "Listen, tomorrow's the ceremony, right? _This is your last chance_." He said, tipping his head towards the manor. "You've got to be there to tell Flora how you feel."

"You're right..." Eugene said, nodding slowly as he swallowed heavily, looking up at Taylor with a tormented gaze. "But, Arthur would sooner have his man kill me than let her go..."

"We'll take care of Arthur, and his goons." Sean assured, smiling over at him warmly. "You just show up, and do what you need to do to get your girl back."

"I..." Eugene faltered, looking around all of them with a disbelieving expression, startled by their kindness and certainty. "Yes, I will be there. Thank you." He said finally, before he rushed past Diego and Varyyn on the verge of tears, heading deeper into the maze.

"Whew." Quinn sighed heavily, shaking her head as she wat he'd him go. "Hopefully, that'll do it." She said, looking at Taylor, as he stared vacantly into the maze after Eugene.

"We will find out tomorrow, it seems." Varyyn said quietly, looking down at his still missing items longingly.

Taylor sucked in a deep breath, snapping himself out of his thoughts with a small start. "I'd better go let Flora know." He said, pulling away from Quinn and running his hand through his hair tiredly.

"Maybe... I'll come with you, Taylor." Diego said, passing Taylors bag to Varyyn and squeezing the Vaanti's shoulder briefly, as Varyyn nodded in understanding.

Taylor shrugged and turned back the way he'd come, as Diego trotted to catch up. "Hey." He said nonchalantly, as Taylor snorted and looked over at him sideways. "Okay, fine. Skip the small talk. Dude, are you okay?" Diego asked, as Taylor came to a stop, turning to Diego with a raised brow. "Stop with the looks, okay? I'm your damn friend Taylor, we  _all_  are! Let us help..." He said, as Taylor dropped his gaze guiltily.

"I know..." He sighed, biting his lip as he glanced back up at Diego's concerned expression. "I just... I feel sick, I can't-" he choked, coughing as he quickly shut down his emotions again. "I know, okay... You coped when Varyyn disappeared, and I'm being a total flake." He sighed, covering his face with his hands. He scrubbed at his eyes, as Diego chaffed his arm gently, looking up at him sadly.

"Dude, I didn't exactly handle it too well myself at the time; 'til my best friends came and reminded me I wasn't alone, and that we'd find him..." Diego huffed lightly.

"And the mystical spirit of the island came and gave you a taste of your future..." Taylor snorted, lowering his hands with a sigh as he tipped his head back and swallowed heavily. "I just... I know I'm being pathetic, I do! But still, I just can't... Stop." He said finally, shaking his head as he released a light huff. "I promised he wouldn't lose me... The things he must be calling me right now."

"Taylor, Jake can't exactly blame you for Rourke screwing us over... Again." Diego said, rolling his eyes with a faint snort, as he tapped Taylors arm playfully. "Besides, he's got help now. He'll probably find us before the nights over, now he has Mike to help." He added, frowning when Taylors expression immediately shuttered closed.

"Yeah." Taylor said, looking down as he nodded, his eyes stinging as he clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Yeah, I just bet Mike will help him." He said flatly, turning to move towards the party again.

"Taylor -" Diego called, frowning as Taylor passed another waiter ahead of him and grabbed a glass of champagne, spinning agilely to dodge another guest, even as he raised the glass to his lips.

Taylor stayed a step ahead of his friend, guilt and shame twisting his heart painfully, as he tried to force away his every thought pertaining to Mike. His chest burned, blazing with fear and jealousy alike, choking him like smoke from a fire. As they returned to the party, they finally found Flora, in the middle of talking to Ralston.

"I think you're household staff ain't dressin' right." The man sneered, his cold eyes glinting as he peered at Diego's torn shirt pointedly.

"Oh..." Flora gasped, upon recognizing Taylor,turning to Ralston with a semi-convincing laugh. "Well, I told then to wear costumes! Only appropriate for the occasion, no?" She said, quickly laying her hand on his shoulder to draw his attention away, allowing them to slip past him and through the archway where Taylor had first spoken to her. "If you'll forgive me, I should probably make another round with the guests." She said, moving away, only for the man to capture her wrist.

"Do your duty, Miss Sullivan..." He said quietly, forcing her to reluctantly step closer to him. "And remember, just who's watching your back." He said, as she made a furtive glance in Taylors direction, before moving away.

He scowled at Ralston a moment longer, before drawing back, watching Flora slowly hurry around the gathering towards the tree. "Taylor -" Diego said hesitantly, only to be interrupted as Flora finally reached them, yanking her mask off as she grabbed Taylors arms urgently.

"Well?" She choked, staring up at him imploringly. "Did you find out anything?" She demanded, as Taylor felt a genuine grin spread across his face.

"Good news." He said, shifting his arms to hold her hands gently. "He'll be there tomorrow." He promised as Flora's eyes lit up, and she clasped her hands together before her heart joyously.

"Oh thank god!" She cried, laughing in disbelief as she stared up at the sky in awe. "My Eugene!" She giggled, biting her lip as she thought of him. Her expression dropped suddenly, her eyes intent as she peered up at him seriously. "Taylor, you've no idea how much this means to me..."

"Oh, he's probably got a rough idea..." Diego snickered, as Taylor elbowed him discreetly. Flora clicked her fingers suddenly, and from her pocket, she produced a small brass key.

"Have you already secured accommodations for the night?" She asked, as they exchanged a glance. Taylor snickered, shrugging his shoulders unhelpfully.

"Uh, not really?" Diego hedged, frowning at Taylor, before turning back to Flora with an awkward smile.

"Well, you and your friends are certainly welcome to the servants quarters." She said warmly, smiling back at them coyly, as she waved the brass key temptingly. "There's also a special, private wing of the manor accessible by this key. A couple of you could perhaps stay there, if you don't mind sharing a bed..." She said, as Taylor began to snigger.

"That sounds like a perfect getaway for you and Varyyn, Diego..." He said, dodging Diego's swat to his shoulder with a gleeful cheer, only to overbalance and trip into the bush. "... shit!"

Diego laughed at his weak curse, rolling his eyes as he helped him out of the bush. "Dude, that serves you right on so many levels..." He huffed, shaking his head as he poked Taylor in the shoulder for good measure. "However, I think it sounds more like an adventure Quinn would be into! Or maybe Sean?"

"Hmm, Sean's got his whole busted leg thing going on... I guess he might appreciate a night in a decent bed." Taylor hummed thoughtfully, sniggering as he grinned wickedly. "Or maybe just to spend some alooone time with Michelle!" He chuckled, accepting the key with a grateful grin.

"I'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow!" Flora said eagerly, dashing forward to kiss Taylors cheek before he even knew what was happening. "Thank you! Do enjoy yourselves!" She whispered, before grabbing her mask and rushing away.

"C'mon assbutt, lets go see what the others are up to." Taylor said, grinning as they ambled past more waiters with trays of champagne. "Don't mind if I do..." He hummed, snitching an entire tray from a passing waiter and winking when they turned to him with wide eyes. "Its okay, my friends are just over there." He said, smiling as he carried the tray over to the others, draining a glass along the way.

"So, is there a reason you're so determined to drink yourself into a hole?" Diego asked, scowling as Taylor giggled childishly at him.

"Yes, it's called enjoying myself." He said, winking at Diego as he reached for another glass. "What? Zahra and Craig get drunk allll the time. Why can't I have a go?" He demanded, stopping suddenly to shale his head, forcing back the words which tried to surface in his mind.  _You're dangerous enough sober_ \- "No..." He whispered, pinching the bridge of his nose as he growled at himself.

"Taylor, snap out of it dude..." Diego said, taking the tray from his hand delicately, though Taylor still managed to snag himself another glass. "C'mon, what is it really eating you? Is it that Jake's missing?" He asked, a knowing gleam in his eye as Taylor raised his eyes to his friends, silently pleading him not to ask. "Or that he's missing,  _with_  Mike?" He asked anyway, as Taylor groaned.

"I just..." He sighed, oausing and shaking his head before taking another sip of champagne. "I can't get past it. I thought I had. But then, Fiddler and her stupid-" he said, hanging his head shamefully. "They were this dynamic duo, ya know? They fit, complemented each other, they shared this, bold and exciting past and had adventures-"

"Got blown up." Diego snarked, rolling his eyes as he cut Taylor off. "You do realise that you and Jake are a pretty dynamic duo yourselves?" Diego asked, snorting as he grimaced briefly. "And I have seen way more than I ever needed to of how well you fit-"

"Dude  _please,_  don't make me think about that now..." Taylor pleaded, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "Look, I know that Jake loves me, I do... But I just, I can't shake the feeling that there's something else to them. And I  _hate_  it, because, he gives me this look-" Taylor hiccupped, shaking his head as his throat constricted. He sniffed and looked up at the slowly darkening sky, heaving a heavy sigh as he turned and began walking back to their friends again, his shoulders slumping dejectedly. "Forget it. Let's see who wants that room." He said firmly, locking his jaw as they hurried to join the others.

"Taylor!" Quinn greeted him upon their return, glancing worriedly at Diego, who sighed and shook his head behind Taylors back. "So, how'd it go with Flora?" She asked, skipping over to them and linking her arm through his.

"Not bad, we got the use of the servants quarters for the night..." Taylor replied lightly, humming softly as he produced the little grass key with a flourish. "And... D'you think you're up for an adventure on that leg of yours, Tiny Tim?" He snickered, the gentle buzz of alcohol dulling the sting in his heart.

"Did... you just give me a nickname?" Sean asked, grinning at him curiously, although his expression faltered at Diego and Quinn's nervous glance.

 _"Shhhhh..."_  Taylor snickered, winking at the athlete conspiratorially. "Don't tell Jake." He said, pausing a moment, before beginning to giggle awkwardly. "Oh, yeah... You can't!" He said, breaking free of Quinn's hold, as he grabbed for another glass of champagne, only for Diego to move the tray away.

"Dude, I am officially cutting you off from the bar." He said, scowling as Taylor pouted at him petulantly. "Don't even try it, assbutt, or I'll set Haymitch on you." He warned.

"Aw man, Haymitch is no fun. He's so violent..." Taylor huffed, as Diego tried not to laugh, though his free hand drifted ro his beard fondly.

"Okay, well... That room sounds good, Taylor, thanks." Sean said loudly, cutting over them both as the pair traded considering looks, wondering who would back down first. "And actually, there's something I kinda wanted to tell you." He said, before he looked away shyly. Taylor blinked, losing his battle of will with Diego as he looked over at the athlete in surprise, his friend using the opportunity to hide the remaining glasses of champagne.

"Uh..." Taylor balked, his cheeks puffing out awkwardly, as he glanced around briefly and avoided the athletes gaze; suddenly uncomfortable. "Ya know, I think we should settle the others in first." He said quickly, coughing as he grabbed his bag from Varyyn and waved them all towards the manor. "And hey, I think I feel like some dancing too!" He added, leading the way as his friends hesitated, before following after him with worried expressions.

"Taylor, I dunno about you, but I'm not so hot on twenties dancing..." Diego said, glancing at his friend as he jogged to keep up with him. "I mean, Aleister might be, actually... And anyway, I really do not think we're dressed for-"

"Who said anything about out here?" Taylor sniffed, as they stepped through a small door at the back of the manor, and proceeded to find the servants quarters a short ways further up the corridor. "Okay, big ass kitchen, awesome. That'll do... And look, rooms are over there." He said, gesturing to the various rooms on either side of the hall. "So, who's for dancing?"

"Taylor-" Quinn sighed, stepping closer as the others tactfully chose themselves rooms, depositing their things for the night.

"C'mon, Quinn... Don't leave me hangin'." He pleaded, quickly cutting her off from whatever concern she wished to voice, as he grabbed her hands and twirled her around quickly. _"I just want you, to dance with me, tonight..._ " He hummed quietly, snickering when she gave in and giggled at him.

"Wow, you  _must_  be desperate." She snorted, swatting his shoulder as he winked and sauntered across the kitchen. "You're willing to sing are you, to get me to dance with you?"

"Hmm, that depends," Taylor huffed, glancing back as he rolled his hips in a loose figure eight. "Would my dancing convince you to sing?" He asked, before laughing at himself and rolling back on his heels. He strode over to the large preparation table, running his hand along its surface as he seemed to examine the room with interest.

"Oh, Taylor...  _What_  am I gonna  _do_  with you?" Quinn huffed affectionately, turning as Diego and the others filed in cautiously.  _"Hey!"_  She called, as she turned back, realising he'd used her momentary distraction go head the wine rack, and had grabbed a full bottle of champagne. She hurried over just as he popped the cock, jumping back as the bottle bubbled.

"Woo!" He cheered, raising the bottle to his lips and taking a large gulp, heedless of the spray which soaked the front of his suit.. "Okay, I think this one is different to what they have out there... This, tastes  _waaay_  better." He sniggered, as Quinn scowled and snatched the bottle from his hands. "Hey!"

"For heavens sake, Taylor!" She scolded, handing the bottle to Diego as she grabbed his wrists. "I know you're hurting; I'm sure he is too, but Taylor... He wouldn't want  _this_  for you!" She cried, her eyes welling as Taylor leaned back against the table and sighed heavily.

"... I know." He said tiredly, finally raising his head to reveal all the pain he'd been trying so hard to bury. "... I miss him." He admitted in a small voice, swallowing against a heavy lump which had formed in his throat.

"Oh, Taylor... So do we." She said, wrapping her arms around him tightly, as he finally let himself open up to his friends. "But we're gonna find him, and he is gonna be just fine, you just wait and see!" She promised.

"Yeah, he'll have been driving someone else crazy, pining and whining like last time." Estela snorted, as Taylor grimaced and buried his face in Quinn's shoulder.

"Dude, Jake duty is like the worst thing ever; when we do find him, there's no way in hell I'm getting anywhere near to bein' in his way." Craig scoffed, draping his arm over Zahra's shoulder, as Taylor huffed at him and saluted roughly without looking.

"Urgh... Fine,  _fine."_  He said finally, pulling back from Quinn's shoulder with a small smile for his friends, his heart still aching; but their reassurances finally sinking in slightly. "But, I still wanna dance." He said, pouring at Quinn until she laughed.

"Fine, but only one dance!" She said, swatting his shoulder playfully as he beamed at her. "Then you're going to  _sleep!"_

"And you have to sing." Diego added, folding his arms over his chest with a smug grin, as Taylors expression faltered. "Don't ginne that look, I heard you. You said you'd sing, if she danced. Now you sing, and we all dance."

"Never mind, I'm tired after all." Taylor said innocently, pushing to his feet as Diego scowled at him in frustration. "You are the worst, best friend ever sometimes." He pouted, as Taylor snickered and bumped his hip to Diego's.

 _"Well, I don't know why I came here tonight_..." He sang, grinning as Diego immediately burst out laughing. "I _got the feeling that somethin' ain't right_..." He hummed, jumping onto the table and holding our his hands for Diego and Quinn. He quickly pulled them up as the others moved further into the kitchen, laughing as they crowded around the table. " _I'm so scared incase I fall off my chair... And I'm wonderin' how I'll get down the stairs_..." He sang, shuffling along the table comically, as Diego and Quinn danced either side of him.

" _Clowns to the left of me,_ " he sang, gesturing to Diego, who frowned and pouted as he forgot to keep dancing. " _Jokers to the right!"_  He added, gesturing to Quinn on his other side, who giggled and winked coyly. " _Here I am... Stuck in the middle with you."_  He sang, shaking his hips and pointing to the others on the floor.

 _"Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you, and I'm wondering what it is I should do_..." He sang, holding out his hands and twirling Quinn and Diego into his arms, before spinning then back out again. " _It's so hard to keep this smile from my face, losing control, yeah; I'm all over the place_..." He continued, pointing to his wide grin, before floundering over the table.

" _Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right! Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.._." He sang, cheering as Craig did a back flip, only for Zahra to laugh when the jock promptly fell on his ass.

" _Well, you started off with nothing, and you're proud that you're a self-made man... And your friends they all come crawlin', Slap you on the back and say_ -" He cried, turning around sharply as he strummed enthusiastically at an air guitar.

 _"Please..."_  Quinn and Diego chanted, giggling as they crowded in behind him.  _"Please..."_

" _Trying to make some sense of it all, but I can see it makes no sense at all..._ " He sang, shuffling his feet as he rolled his arms over each other. " _Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor? Well, I don't think I can take anymore_..." He said, his eyes dulling slightly, as fatigue suddenly struck him hard.

" _Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right_!" He sang, gesruring ri Quinn and Diego a final time each; as they posed grandly for their big finish. " _Here I am, stuck in the middle with you_..!"

"Wooo!" Michelle cheered, laughing as the others joined in. She clapped enthusiastically with everyone else, until she paused suddenly, her eyes widening on realisation. "Someone catch-"

Craig beat her to the warning, catching Taylor as he tumbled from the table with a faint huff of exhaustion. "Taylor!" Quinn gasped, as she and Diego hurried to hop down from the table, grabbing his hand as Craig set him tentatively on his feet. "Taylor, wh-"

"Hmm... Spinny, spinny, pretty colours." Taylor sighed happily, as Quinn huffed and rolled her eyes. " _Stuck hmm hmm hm-dle with you._.." He hummed half heartedly, as Sean sidled over and pulled Taylors arm over his shoulder, Craig lebering him the opposite side.

"C'mon Taylor, time for bed." Craig sniggered, as Taylor pouted and waved at the others sadly, before allowing himself to be led away. The two football stars led Taylor through the manor, luckily still quiet, as the guests continued to party outside in the gardens.

Finally, they located a door with a heavy grass lock, and sprung it open with Flora's key. The pair led Taylor into a grand parlor, armn arm draped around each of their shoulders, as they gazed around in silent wonder. "Damn, Meech is gonna be  _pissed_  she missed this..." Craig said, whistling at the antique filled room.

"Hmm, she could have stayed instead of me. I don't mind." Taylor hummed, slipping free of their hold with surprising fluidity, only to stumble across the room ungracefully. "Help Timmy Tin sit down..." He said to Craig, who turned and hurried to do as he'd suggested, as Sean winced; setting his friend into a nearby chair.

"Thanks man," Sean said, bumping his fist to Craig's, as the jock moved back to the door.

"Yo, Taylor..." He called, before closing the door. "You gonna be okay, bro?" He asked, his brows knitting in concern.

Taylor felt his heart pulse weakly, affection for his friends radiating and making him feel warm for the first time since he'd realised Jake was missing. "Yeah, thanks Craig." He said, smiling fondly as the jock tipped his chin at him, before closing the door and returning to the others.

Taylor sighed, hanging his head as he massaged his temples lightly, before looking over at Sean curiously. The athlete was examining the room, but chuckled upon noticing Taylor looking his way. "To think," the athlete said, beaming a wide grin over at him, the obvious state he'd gotten himself into. "The money these paintings will be worth in our ti-" he stopped speaking suddenly, as his eyes fell on a specific painting, his jaw quickly hardening. "You have  _got_  to be joking." He growled as Taylor raised a brow in curiosity.

He moved around behind Sean's chair, following his gaze to look at a painting labeled Depiction of the Divine, where a familiar man dressed in Roman attire, was haloed by the sun. "Is that...  _Rourke?!"_  He choked, narrowing his eyes in disbelief as he stared at the painting, where Rourke appeared to be writing The Ten Commandments in relaxed cotton robes.

"Self centred, narcissistic piece of-" Sean muttered scathingly, snarling hatefully at the painting. "He has all the power in the world. He can stop wars, and poverty... And he decides to put himself in a  _goddamn_  painting!"

"Uh, Sean..." Taylor hummed, clearing his throat as he pointedly raised his brows at the athlete, his lips twitching in amusement.

"I know, I  _know."_  Sean sighed, his expression souring as he continued to gaze at the painting. "I'm not surprised. Hell, I expect this kinda stuff from him." He scoffed, shaking his head in disgust. "It's just... It makes me want to beat him that much more." He said, scowling fiercely at Rourke's serene, yet somehow smug expression on the painting.

"And we will, Sean." Taylor said, clapping him on the shoulder lightly. "I know we will... Ruining Rourke's day has kinda become my favourite past time." He snickered.

Sean's chestnut eyes rose to stare up at him, his hand reaching to find Taylors. "I know, Taylor." He said, beaming a huge grin, as he squeezed his hand tightly. "Rourke may have money, goons, power... But he doesn't have  _you."_  He said assuredly, as Taylor felt his gut squirm with a faint pull of wrongness. "So, he's gonna lose."

Taylor cleared his throat, looking away as he bit his lip, his hand turning clammy in Sean's grasp. "Sean..." He hedged, not wanting to admit to his discomfort. His eyes lit on the painting again, and he grinned wickedly as he cocked his head towards it. "Wanna trash that painting?"

" _God, yes_." The athlete enthused, his grin growing as without another word, Taylor snatched his hand free and ran across the room. He giggled as he reached the wall, heaving the painting into his arms.

"Care to call this play, Q.B?" He asked, grinning as he wiggled his hips excitedly, easily ignoring the sting of Jake's nickname; overruling it with his eagerness to break something of Rourke's.

"First thing we need to add, is a big far hole in his heart." Sean said, plucking a glass paperweight from a parlor table. Taylor stepped to the side, still holding up the gilded frame as he sniggered. "Thirty five, eighteen, Tin Man...  _hut!"_  Sean cried, scowling in concentration, as he launched the paperweight at the canvas. The heavy glass tore a ragged hole in Rourke's chest, and Taylor laughed as he peeked around the frame to see.

"Good aim!" He exclaimed joyfully, clicking his tongue as he admired the view of the damaged painting, savouring the thought of Rourke's fury.

"Alright," Sean said, beaming a wide grin at him eagerly. "Your turn, Taylor!" He said, as Taylor looked back at the painting consideringly.

"Hmm," he hummed thoughtfully, before grinning broadly. "I'm gonna poke his beady, little eyes out." He decided, narrowing his own eyes at the Rourke in the painting.

"Here, this'll help." Sean said, tossing him a fountain pen that was sitting on the table. Taylor quickly punctured Rourke's eyes, and wiggled his fingers through the holes. "Oh look, worms just ate his brain!" Sean laughed, his eyes glittering with amusement.

"Heh, I'd say that I wish it were tasty but," he said, pausing as he let his fingers droop suddenly. "Sadly, it looks like its proven fatal..." He sighed, as Sean laughed at him in delight. They continued gleefully ripping up the painting, until it was just a pile of paint chips and scrap.

"I did not know," Sean sighed, beaming a huge, serene grin over at Taylor, as he tossed the frame aside. "Just how much I needed tha- _ahhhh."_  Taylor giggled at the athletes yawn, and helped Sean to his feet.

"What you need now is  _sleep._  Come on." He huffed, helping Sean over to the bed and sitting him on the edge.

"Wait," Sean said, as Taylor drew back, moving away to the window. "You need to sleep off everything you drank earlier, not to mention whatever you've been trying to stop yourself feeling since we got here..." The athlete said knowingly, as Taylor sighed and smiled softly.

"I'll be back in a minute," he lied gently, grinning reassuringly. "I just, need a couple minutes... There's something I need to do." He said, as Sean reluctantly released him. The athlete laid down on the bed, and within minutes, Taylor knew he was fast asleep. He pulled the cover over Sean, before biting his lip guiltily, and turning to head out the door.

He made his way back along the hallway, moving quietly as he heard guests filing into their rooms, preparing for the ceremony the next day.  _Please let this crazy ass plan work_... He thought, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair distractedly. When he reached the small back door, he glanced around himself nervously, before quickly and quietly slipping through into the night air. He took a deep breath, and smiled softly, looking up at the sky, as he moved slowly towards the maze.

As soon as Taylor was hidden by the tall hedges, he took off his jacket and laid down on his back in the grass, staring up at the stars. He sighed, Diego's words from what seemed like an entire life ago, bursting into his mind.  _When I'm back in my time and you're in your time, I'll be able to look at the stars... and know that you're seeing the same ones_. He covered his mouth with his hand, stifling the quiet huff of a sob which tried to escape him, as tears rolled from his eyes to his ears.  _Please..._  He thought, staring at the twinkling lights as he finally allowed his grief and fear to seep from his heart.

"You know, somehow I just  _knew_  I was gonna find you out here." A sad voice sighed, as Taylor choked and tipped his head back to see a shadowed figure approaching. Without saying anything further, they quickly laid beside him and gipped his hand tightly, otherwise ignoring him as they stared at the stars. "... I always liked sleeping under the stars."

Taylor stared in disbelief for a long pause, before he began to laugh in fond but quiet amusement. "You  _hate_  sleeping outside. You once said you'd rather paint your toenails." He said softly, squeezing the hand in his own in appreciation.

"Which I  _did,_  in a beautiful shade of mermaid blue; which by the way, I  _totally_  rocked." They said, as another voice approached, laughing quietly.

"I'm sure Varyyn would be just thrilled to hear about that, Diego." Quinn giggled, laying down on Taylors other side and gently taking his free hand,curling into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. "Think I might just have to tell him in the morning..." She teased in a sing song voice.

"You are an evil, wicked woman." Diego pouted, sighing in feigned resignation as Taylors heart melted with gratitude for his friends. "I guess I better just tell Kele about when you got drunk at New Year and-"

 _"Diego!"_  Quinn gasped, choking as she raised her head to stare at him in wide eyed disbelief. "And here I thought you were the  _nice_  one!" She snorted, dropping back down to lay on Taylors shoulder, as he began to laugh.

"No, no. Common mistake." Diego hummed, grinning as he looked up t the stars fondly. "I'm the  _smart_  one."

"He means, smart  _mouthed..."_  Taylor snickered, finally joining in on their teasing, as Diego pouted at him crossly. Quinn giggled and laid her head back on Taylors shoulder, looking up at the stars as they fell into a comfortable silence. Taylor stared up with them, his heart finally slowing as he allowed himself to bask in his friends companionship. He inhaled slowly, squeezing both their hands appreciatively. "... Thanks." He said quietly, as they both squeezed back.

"Anytime, Taylor." Diego said firmly, bumping his free hand to Taylors shoulder briefly.

"Always." Quinn added, kissing his shoulder quickly. Taylor smiled gratefully, and as he finally allowed himself to relax, he found himself lost to the pull of the deep sleep of exhaustion.

They slept until the first rays of light began to filter through thebmaze hedge, when Taylor groaned and winced, his hands freeing themselves of his friends and rising to his head.  _"Ohhh..."_  He whimpered, peeking open one eye to peer at Quinn pathetically, as she peered down at him worriedly.  _"Ow..."_

"If you've got a sore head, you probably deserve it dude." Diego snorted, yawning as he sat up beside him. "However, because I am awesome-"

"And because Michelle made him bring them..." Quinn interjected with a giggle.

"I happen to have brought you some magic in tablet form." Diego concluded, tossing Taylor a small container with tablets in.

"Ha ha, my new best friends..." Taylor chuckled darkly, immediately tipping two tablets to his hand and tossing them into his mouth. "What?" He asked, as they both stared at him in surprise, clearing his throat briefly, before swallowing the tablets down slowly.

"... Nothing, dude. Absolutely nothing." Diego sighed, shaking his head as he pushed to his feet. "Yep, totally  _not_  creepy at all." He muttered as he stretched satisfyingly.

Taylor sat for another moment, before finally pushing himself upright, taking a moment to brush the light grass stain from his ass, before grabbing his jacket and swinging it over his shoulders. "I better go see if Sean's awake... and uh, apologise for disappearing, if he is." He said sheepishly, rubbing his hands over his face.

"Taylor, wait..." Quinn said, sharing a look with Diego as Taylor looked between them over the top of his hands. "Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly, her cheeks puffing out in concern.

Taylor drew in a deep breath, frowning briefly as he looked up at the lightening sky, before dropping his hands with a small grin. "I'm better... than I was, anyway." He said at last, smiling at them warmly. "Couple of awesome people came and took care of me." He added, grinning widely as they both jostled him playfully. "Hmm, I better go find them actually... Say thanks an- hey,  _ow!"_  He laughed, as their friendly jostles turned to exasperated jabs and swats.

"Oh, Taylor..." Quinn giggled, sighing and shaking her head ay him fondly, as Diego snickered and rolled his eyes.

"C'mon," Taylor chuckled, tipping his head towards the manor. "Let's go see how our little ragtag families doin'." He said, leading them back to the servants quarters. Taylor quickly said goodbye as Quinn and Diego moved to wake the others, heading back to the private quarters where he'd left Sean.

"So, the dirty stopout returns..." Sean chuckled as he entered, as he sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him. "Feelin' better?" He asked, his eyes running over Taylor briefly, and brightening at the obvious change in his demeanour.

"Yeah, sorry for-" he began, only for Sean to shake his head and cut him off, grinning fondly.

"Nah, no worries, man." The athlete said, as Taylor crossed the room and helped him up from the bed. "I know you were pretty strung up, if you're feeling better now, then that's all that matters." He said, as he tested his leg. He frowned down at himself in surprise, before looking up at Taylor with a broad grin. "Do you have magic healing hands, Taylor? It feels stronger already!" He said, unsubtly changing the subject, as Taylor huffed in gratitude.

"No, but sleep does." He snickered, before holding up a finger seriously. "And Michelle, who you should really thank asap... Now, come on. Let's get back to the others, before they worry." He said, nudging the athletes shoulder playfully. Laughing and teasing, the pair made their way together down to the ballroom, where guests were gathering already. They were still in costume, their masks firmly fixed over their faces as they found their seats and awaited the looming ceremony eagerly. The wedding decorations appeared to compliment the masquerade theme, though Taylor found himself frowning as he peered around, touched by the familiar hand of déjà vu.

"Something about this seems really familiar..." Quinn said quietly, as the others joined them discreetly at the back of the ballroom.

"Jinx..." Taylor murmured, flashing her a brief wink and a small grin. "You just took the words right outta my mouth, Quinn." He huffed, snorting as she slapped his wrist playfully. He chuckled as he looked around the ballroom again, before he snapped his fingers suddenly, his eyes going wide in realisation. "Oh ny god... This is the same ballroom we found at The Celestial!"

 _"What?!"_  Diego choked, looking around in disbelief. "How is that even possible? We're not in The Celestial, are we?" He asked, how brows rising in surprise.

"Rourke must of replicated it for some reason... Though, I don't know how the hell he would have known abou-" Taylor broke off suddenly, frowning as a thought occurred to him, only for it to flitter away evasively; when Grace gasped.

"Oh no..." She murmured, her fingers tapping together nervously, as she peered around the ballroom. "I don't see Eugene."

"Guys, we need a backup plan." Zahra said, glancing around them all intently. "What if he-"

She broke off abruptly, as a man in a lion mask walked over to them. Taylor balked, recalling Varyyn's own lion mask, back when they'd first met. He shook his head as the man discreetly revealed his face, a sly grin curling his lips. "What if I... what?" He snickered, grinning broadly as he looked around them all.

"You made it!" Taylor cheered, beaming a huge, warm smile at the other man.

Sean approached, wearing his own wide grin as he pointing towards where Flora was positioned at the side of the ballroom. "Go get her, man." He said, as Taylor narrowed his eyes at Ralston, close behind her. As he brought his eyes back to Flora, he found her eyes through her mask, dulled with resignation.

Eugene swallowed hard, staring over at her longingly. "... W-what should I say?" He whispered, glancing around them in rising panic. "The ceremony is about to start!"

Grace put her hand on his shoulder, smiling up at him warmly. "Just tell her how you feel.  _All of it."_  She encouraged, as Taylor turned his gaze to Aleister, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively; as the pale boy rolled his eyes at Taylors transparency. "While you still can."

Eugene took a moment, considering Grace's advice carefully. Finally, he sucked in a deep breath, straightened his back, and strode across the ballroom. "Flora," he called determinedly, pausing a short distance from her. "I'm here." He said, his words seeming suddenly far too loud, as a hush fell over the crowd.

Flora pulled off her mask, gazing at him in wide eyed disbelief. "Eugene!" She cried, her mask falling from her fingers to the floor without her noticing.

"I know, that we've been through a lot. I've made my share of mistakes..." Eugene said quickly, taking a tentative step closer to her. "But, I've never once, stopped loving  _you."_  He said, his words causing Taylors heart to clench painfully, drawing his pilot to the forefront of his mind. "I'm here to ask for your hand, at long last. Will you marry me, Flora?" He asked, as Taylor blinked, and forced himself to push aside his thoughts of Jake, though his throat remained tightly constricted.

Flora's eyes lit with joy, until Ralston took a small step towards her, raising his hand to the small of her back. "Don't forget our conversation, Miss Sullivan." He said, and though his words were hushed against her ear, they still heard them at the back of the room; as the guests remained locked in stunned silence.

Flora glanced backwards, her eyes widening in surprise, as Taylor noticed Aleister's narrow in suspicion. "Oh, Eugene..." Flora choked, before looking back at him dejectedly. "It's too late. I've made up my mind." She said, her face crumpling in grief and misery.

"You...  _have?"_  Eugene said quietly, his face falling in light of her rejection. Taylor felt his hands curling into fists, as Eugene visibly deflated, taking an uncertain step backwards.

Attention was drawn to the groom however, as Arthur cleared his throat loudly. "I thought I'd had the trash taken out, but it appears to have legs!" He chuckled derisively, as nervous laughter tittered from the crowd.

"We gotta do something!" Craig exclaimed, his eyes wide as he watched Arthur sneer at Eugene. "We're gonna be stuck if we don't fix this!"

"All we have to do is take out Ralston." Estela assured calmly, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she curled her fingers into fists and glanced towards Taylor, awaiting his permission.

"Pfft, I say we blow stuff up, and get them out of here." Zahra scoffed, tugging her jacket lightly as she winked at Taylor. "I got a few tricks up my sleeve..."

"No need." Aleister said calmly, his arms folded over his chest as he stared over the crowd almost as if he were bored. "We can simply explain the evidence to the wedding guests and expose Arthur."

"Okay, non violence; for the win." Taylor said, miming a whip crack towards Aleister. " _Sic 'em, Aleister_." He growled, pointing to Ralston. Aleister stared at him blandly for a moment, until Taylor tinged with pink and lowered his gaze to his shoes. "Sorry. Got caught up in the, uh... moment." He mumbled, clearing his throat, as he pretended not to hear Diego laughing behind him.

"Leave it to me." Aleister said finally, his lips giving just the faintest twitch of amusement, as Taylor coughed awkwardly. Without further distraction, Aleister calmly walked over to the piano to one side of the ballroom, and struck a G-major chord. "If i may have your attention, please!" He called, enunciating his words as masked faces in the crowd immediately began to swivel towards him. "It seems, we've all been deceived by our host for today's ceremony, Arthur Barnaby." He said, scowling over the crowd, before settling his fierce gaze onto the man himself.

"Not only, did he hire someone to threaten this man's life," he said, gesturing to Eugene, who's eyes remained locked in a tortured exchange with Flora's. "But, he's clearly pressuring Miss Sullivan into marrying him,  _against_  her wishes!" He roared, finally levelling an accusatory fi get towards Ralston.

"Looks like someone leg the crazies in, folks!  _Eheheh."_  Ralston snorted, either not realizing the severity of Aleister's accusations, or not caring.

"Mr Ralston, is it?" Aleister sneered, re-folding his arms over his chest, as he scowled at the man in the wolf mask. "Why don't you show the crowd, just what's in your hand? Ah, the  _other_  hand, if you would." Aleister added quickly, as Ralston began to raise his free hand.

For a brief pause, Ralston hesitated, before raising both arms together. A derringer pistol was grasped in his left hand, drawing gasps of shock and astonishment from the crowd, the furious whispers of the guests filling the ballroom suddenly.

Freed from Ralston's control, Flora ran into Eugene's arms eagerly. "Eugene ..  _Yes!"_  She cried urgently, her arms folding around his shoulders desperately. "Yes, I will happily marry you! You're the  _only_  man I love!" She cried, as he surged towards her. As their lips met, the objects on Varyyn's body reappeared.

"Guys, we did it!" Diego cried, his eyes wide as Varyyn stared down at himself in relief and joy. The sudden sound of gunfire made them all jump , and they turned back to see Flora pitch forward, as a bullet tore into her side.

 _"Floraaaa!"_  Eugene cried, his expression devastated as Flora clutched at him desperately. Ralston used the distraction to run towards one of the exits, his derringer pistol still smoking in his grasp.

Taylor gasped, as a tremor passed through the floor suddenly, the scene around them beginning to warp and wave; as though the entire ballroom were melting away. "What-?!" He choked, watching with wide eyes, as Eugene gathered Flora into his arms, and began carrying her to safety.

"Stay with me, my darling..." He whispered, gazing down at her agony riddled expression softly. "I'm going to bring you to something that will help." He assured, hurrying towards a window, through which Taylor could just make out a grove of trees; glistening, with silver sap. Before he could take a step to follow, a time rift tore open beside him.

The Clockmaker leaned through, holding out her hand to him. "Come with me!  _Quickly!"_  She ordered sharply, as Taylor hastened to grab the nearest hand to him.

"Everyone! Link up!" He yelled, glancing back to see his friends all grasping hold of someone else. Finally he turned ahlnd grabbed The Clockmaker's hand, hastening through the rift as the room continued to quake and distort.

One by one, Taylor and his friends stepped out onto a winding road, disused and overgrown. Once everyone eqs gathered, The Clockmaker adjusted her stopwatch, and the shimmering tear folded in on itself, before vanishing entirely. Taylor watched the entire process in fascination, blinking dazedly, when the rift finally disappeared.

"That's  _that,_  then." The Clockmaker sighed in obvious relief, rolling her neck to alleviate the apparent stiff tension in her shoulders. "I'm sorry it took us so long to extract you... That particular time, is rife with anomalies." She explained, her ears twitching almost guiltily.

"I'm just glad you extracted us when you did!" Taylor huffed, shivering as he recalled the ballroom, as it had begun to destabilize around them.

"But, what happened to Flora and Eugene?" Grace cried, her eyes wide as she peered at The Clockmaker curiously. "And the wedding guests?"

"Hm, well, the first eruption of Mount Atropo caused a chronoquake that sent the wedding party far into the future..." The Clockmaker explained, looking up st the sky thoughtfully. "Over time, and as a result of regularly consuming energy inbued sap, they became...  _feral."_  She said hesitantly, grimacing as she returned he gaze to them.

"Feral?" Diego repeated, before his eyes widened suddenly, a she pointed at her and snapped his fingers eagerly. "Like the vampires, in _I Am Legend_?"

"That's... a close approximation,  _yes."_  The Clockmaker hummed appreciatively, tilting her head at Diego curiously. "It would take centuries, before civilization reasserted itself, in the form of the Vaanti tribes you're familiar with.

"All because of the treachery of the groom." Varyyn said, scowling as he shook his head in disgust.

"Man, weddings are the worst." Craig sighed, running his hands through his hair, before wrapping his arms around Zahra in relief.

Taylor sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face, as he heard footsteps approaching, guessing the other Anachronist's were coming to join them. He moved to step away from his friends, only to freeze at the sound of an all too familiar voice. "Y'all went to a wedding, and you didn't invite me?"

 _"Jake?"_  Taylor choked, whirling to see his pilot approaching. His heart clenched as the world narrowed around him, and with a small cry of relieved disbelief, he ran toward him. The pilot grinned, and swept him up in his arms, holding him close for a moment and reassuring himself of Taylors realness. Taylor hiccupped and mumbled incoherently, as he buried his face in the pilots jacket, overwhelmed with relief at the tight embrace of his pilot around him.

Finally the pilot drew back, huffing a huge sigh of relief as his hands cupped Taylors face. "Not gonna lie..." He said, his voice catching as he took a deep breath and shook his head. "You had me a little worried that time, Boy Scout."

Taylor choked out a rough laugh, his hands clutching at Jake's shoulders, as the pilot wiped his damp cheeks with his thumb. "That so?" He asked roughly, his heart racing in his euphoric haze. "I... barely noticed you were gone." He choked, his face crumpling as fresh tears of relied ran down his cheeks.

 _"Bullshit!"_  Came a loud chorus from behind them, which Taylor pointedly ignored, especially the odd voice which yelled a distinct;  _"Shitbull."_

Jake huffed a knowing chuckle, his eyes raking over Taylor urgently, clearly drinking in every detail he could. Taylor shook his head, his hands trembling as he brushed Jake's hair from his face, before bringing their lips together urgently. Jake's hold on him tightened, as they shared a passionate kiss, filled with all the yearning and desperation Taylor had tried so hard to contain during their separation.

"Okay.  _That..."_  Jake sighed, his head knocking against Taylors, as he finally released the pilot to pant heavily for breath. "That was worth waiting for." The pilot huffed, his fingers curling into the short hairs at the back of Taylors neck.

"I might have exaggerated slightly..." Taylor admitted, not needing to clarify his obvious lie, as the pilot snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I never would've guessed." Jake snarked, drawing back slightly as he looked down at Taylors outfit, before raising his brows and grinning crookedly. "That's a mighty fine lookin' suit, Boy Scout... You musta been the King of that wedding."

"Oh, he was certainly a royal alright..." Quinn giggled, as Taylor whirled to scowl at her in betrayal.

 _"Pfft,_  a royal  _ass."_  Diego added, sharing a high five with Quinn as they both winked at Taylor affectionately.

"They're exaggerating." Taylor scoffed, turning back to Jake, wiping his cheeks on his sleeve as he grinned at him. "When have I ever been anything but-"

"When you got drunk? You know, at the wedding? Yesterday?" Diego said, sniggering as Taylor grit his teeth briefly, before smiling widely again.

"Diego's a very bad man," he said, stepping closer to Jake and pointedly ignoring his raised brow. "He's a liar, see? Because as you know, I never get drunk-"

"Yeah, just like you got Sean into a private room." Diego sniggered, as Quinn giggled and hid her huge grin behind her hand.

"Okay, that is just  _not_  how it sounds." Taylor assured quickly, as Jake's other brow raised in surprise. "No, don't look like that! It wasn't, I didn't... You misunderstood." He finally babbled, leaning forward to kiss Jake's throat gently. "You misunderstood."

"Oh, and didn't he fall off a table..?" Diego hummed thoughtfully, as Taylor bit his tongue and drew back slightly, meeting Jake's confused but amused gaze briefly.

"Just... Don't move, for just a second, okay?" He asked, stepping back and raising his hand to point at th ground. "One second,  _don't move."_  He repeated, before turning to Diego with a scowl.

"Oh, sh-" Diego sniggered, quickly dumping Taylors bag as he darted away, weaving through the others quickly as Taylor took off after him. Quinn laughed as Taylor chased after his friend, and he briefly saw her move towards his pilot, before he focused his attention on Diego.

"Get back here, assbutt!" He yelled, scowling as Diego dodged behind the Vaanti briefly, who watched in fascination as he darted around them, only for Diego to scarper the other way. "Are you  _trying_  to make him mad at me?!"

"Well duh," Diego called back, his voice filled with laughter as he narrowly avoided Taylors grasp. "He's the only one who you actually listen to!"

"Urgh, get  _back_  here!" Taylor growled, stumbling as Diego turned sharply and ran back the other way, losing some of the ground he'd gained as he turned to follow. "What the  _hell_  were you thinking?!" He demanded, as Diego dodged behind a small fountain and turned to stare at him intently, panting lightly as he caught his breath.

"We were thinking you wouldn't tell him yourself." He huffed, running a hand through his hair guiltily, as he glanced back at the others. Taylor followed his gaze, to see his friends clustered around Jake, the pilot watching him intently for a moment, before turning back to the others.

 _"Ohhhh,"_  Taylor groaned, closing his eyes as he turned away, realisation dawning. "Oh my god... Why, why,  _why..?"_  He complained, walking forward to lean his head against the fountain lightly.

"Taylor, you don't get how scared we were for you at some points there..." Diego said quietly, cautiously moving around the fountain towards him. "We knew you'd never tell him, so, consider this an... An intervention." He said, as Taylor snorted and rolled his head against the fountain.

"I hate you all so much right now." He sighed, finally pulling back to glare at his friend reproachfully. Diego chuckled, spreading his palms as he finally stepped up beside Taylor, who quickly swatted his shoulder hard. "Do not even utter a sound of complaint." He warned scathingly, pointing at Diego as he scowled intently.

"... Yeah, okay." Diego huffed, rubbing his shoulder before looking back at Taylor. "Heh, we love you too, assbutt." He said, winking as Taylor snorted and forced himself to walk back towards the group.

Jake watched their approach, his gaze thoughtful as his eyes lingered on Taylor, before he broke out in a bright grin. "Got him?" He asked, holding out his arm for Taylor.

"... Of course." He said, cautiously stepping into the pilots embrace. He melted as the pilot pulled him into his side, his lips descending to Taylors softly, before drawing back far too soon.

"That's my Boy Scout. " Jake said, flashing a cocky grin at him, as Taylor glanced at Diego and raised his brow questioningly, though his friend only shrugged in return. He turned back to Jake, who just opened his mouth to speak further, when Raj gasped suddenly.

"Oh my god!" He cried excitedly, stepping away from the group and pointing towards a blue blur approaching. "I think I see Furball, too!" He said, as the blue streak raced towards them.

Taylor stepped back, peering down as the small fox darted through Jake's legs.  _"Mrrp?"_  He barked, before launching at Taylor and knocking him backwards, a she laughed and scooped the blue bundle into his arms.

"Who's my good magic ice fox?" He cooed, dropping to the floor to set Furball down, but remaining on his knees to pet the small animal. "You are, yes, you are! And I am so, so pleased to see you're okay, Furball! He said, as Furball stalked into his lap, swiping his tail over Taylors arm affectionately.

 _"Mururrr!"_  He purred, arching beneath Taylors hand, as he showered the small fox in affection.

"He showed up to give Mike and I some company while we waited." Jake said fondly, as Taylor froze, his heart suddenly heavier than he could ever recall.

"So," he said stiffly, clearing his throst as he looked down at Furball, refusing to let the pilot see the turmoil of emotion on his face. "What happened to you guys, anyway?" He asked, his hand moving almost robotically to scratch behind Furball's ear, as the small fox mewled at him in concern. "Where did you end up?"

"A fairly stable period in the recent past." The Clockmaker explained, as Taylor felt Jake's hand settle on his shoulder, though for once; the pilots touch did nothing to alleviate the chill in his heart. "Once we'd extracted them, coming to Rosencraft Manor in the current time, helped us more easily reach you." She said, shaking her head in exasperation. "Though it may have taken far less time, had we first returned him to Quarr'tel. It was highly distracting to have someone so... distraught, continually questioning or making demands of us."

Taylor felt his frozen heart twitch, and he forced himself to take a deep breath, as Furball skittered from his lap towards Quinn. The redhead happily gathered him up, as Taylor frowned at the floor.  _On the one hand, he's clearly been driving these guys nuts. But on the other... Mike is-_  He cleared his throst and shoved the entire thought process and everything to do with it from his mind, pushing to his feet as a spiky-haired Anachronist pooped her head out of the manor house.

"I think your friend needs you, Jake." She called, as Taylors heart suddenly caved, his efforts to evict his thoughts proving futile at the blunt reminder as to the root of his concerns.

Jake's face fell, his eyes clouding with indecision , before he turned to face Taylor. "... Come with me for this, Boy Scout?" He asked pleadingly, as Taylor blinked in surprise. "I, uh... I don't know if I can face him alone." The pilot bit out, lowering his gaze shamefully.

 _Whereas I just don't know if I can face him at all_... Taylor thought scornfully, as his heart clenched and released at once, confliction rife as he clicked his tongue in his cheek, before slipping his hand into Jake's hesitantly. "Right behind you, Top Gun." He said, a shake squeezed his hand and looked up at him in relief. He swallowed thickly, before leading Taylor to the dilapidated manor, which they entered together.

Taylor swept his eyes around the manor in awe, having seen it in its full glory only moments before. He started, as Jake led him info the ballroom he'd just fled, looking just the same; only worn, and tattered with decades of age. He paused for a heartbeat, Jake's hand slipping free of his as he continued, to where Mike sat against a back wall; cradling a cup of water in his hands. The cup was full all the way to the brim, but the man made no move to drink from it.

"Hey, Mike..." Jake said softly, crouching beside him. "How you feeling?" He asked, and Taylors heart seemed to tremble in his chest, at the raw pain in the pilots gaze. He looked over at Mike, who didn't turn, speak or show any sign if a reaction to Jake's words. "Mike... this is Taylor." Jake said quietly, as Taylor looked back at him in shock, his heart lurching on surprise. "My Boy Scout, I've been tellin' ya about? That's him..."

Taylor bit his lip, his heart flooded with guilt, affection and disbelief, along with several other emotions he couldn't even name. He felt his throat attempt to close, but sharply shoved the emotions back, forcing himself to take the next step closer to them. "Mike... are you in there?" Jake called hesitantly, as he reached out to gently shake Mike's shoulder. The cup slipped from his hands, spilling water across his legs, but the man himself remained motionless; staring blankly across the room.

"Jake..." Taylor said softly, as the pilots eyes glistened with tears. His voice broke off as he tried to find the words, but couldn't. He stood, but as Taylor approached, he jerked away, turning and storming from the room as his chest heaved in sorrow.  _"Jake!"_  He called after the pilot, before he bit his lip indecisively, telling himself that the sting of the pilots rejection was utterly irrational.

Taylor jumped at the barest hint of movement in his peripheral vision, looking back to see Mike's head turn slowly. "Grandpa..?" He murmured slowly, his voice thick with uncertainty.

"... Mike?" Taylor asked reluctantly, though the man didn't seem to react to him at all. Taylor sighed, wrapping his arms around himself as indecision clawed at his heart, his gut churning with fear and uncertainty. Finally he grimaced, crouching to draw the other mans gaze. "Mike? I'm not gonna lie... You make me the most uncomfortable I've ever felt, and that's including Rourke asking me if I'd commit to being your former commanders play toy..." He said quietly, uncertain why he was bothering to explain himself to the man. "However... I love Jake. More, than I could ever explain to you. I know that you mean... more than he's willing to admit, to him." He said awkwardly, as Mike's head slowly turned towards him, though his mismatched eyes remained unfocused. "I don't know why you make me feel so... backwards. But, I'm not about to let it affect him. Not now, when he finally has you back within reach. So, just... Give me a sec to go talk to him, okay?" He asked, staring at Mike, as Mike stared back at him; as unresponsive as ever.

Taylor dropped his gaze to the floor, swallowing heavily, before forcing himself to his feet and hurrying after Jake. He checked the servants quarters, and the kitchen briefly, before heading outside; his heart sinking, as he found the pilot at last, kicking apart a decayed barrel furiously. He folded his arms over his chest, and stepped closer, slowly making out the pilots muted mutters. "I almost  _killed_  him..." Jake snarled viciously, kicking at the barrel again. "And when I thought he was dead, what did I do? I turned tail, and ran... like the  _coward_  I am."

"Jake... You're one of the bravest people I know." Taylor said quietly, startling the pilot, as he glanced back at him guiltily. Taylor longed to reach for him, but he kept his hands pinned beneath his own arms, terrified of the pilot refusing his comfort again. "He uh, he spoke to me..." He said, drawing a deep breath, as he tried to calm the frantic racing of his heart.

"Great, well,  _you_  wanna tell him that all we did was for nothing?" Jake scoffed, his scowl returning as he looked out over the cliffs. "That everyone we know and love is  _dead?"_  He snarked, not noticing Taylor wince guiltily, unable to think of anyone he'd lost or even known; beyond Diego and the others. "You wanna tell him, how small of a chance we have left?" Jake asked, his voice breaking, as Taylor bit his lip and looked at the floor, his heart aching at the pilots pain.

A heavy silence hung over them, as tears slid from Jake's cheeks, striking the pieces of the barrel he'd destroyed. "... I can't do it, Taylor. I just  _can't._  Not after everything else." The pilot sighed, exhaling shakily, as Taylors grief intensified, wishing he could help the man he loved so dearly. He was about to ask what he could possibly do to help, when Jake froze suddenly, glancing around the area warily. "We ain't alone." He said quietly, turning to look at Taylor, as streams of green light began to come together in front of him, coalescing into Vaanu's body. "Slimer, I am  _not_  in the mood for this!"

Vaanu held out a burning helmet insistently, refusing to move. Without thinking, Taylor moved forward, walking straight through Vaanu to grab the helmet determinedly. He paused, glancing back at Vaanu, a lingering knowledge tickling the back of his mind from passing through it, before he shook his head and turned back to Jake. He scowled, as he thrust it in front of the stunned pilot, who stared at him with wide eyes. "You don't want my help." Taylor said firmly, refusing to feel guilty for the pilots flinch. "So take Vaanu's." He ordered, as Jake blinked and reached for him, his guilt and remorse plain to see in his eyes. Taylor dodged back, firmly shoving the helmet into the pilots path instead. "Come on, Jake.  _Take it_." He barked, as Jake stared at him another moment, before finally sighing and looking down; memories flicking before his eyes, as he stared down at the helmet thoughtfully.

Finally, he reached out to take it, and instantly; Taylor found himself in a courtroom, empty, save for Jake and Mike. Jake fiddled absently with the dog tags around his neck, while Mike looked him over.

"You're nervous." Mike said knowingly, a small grin curving his lips, as he continued to watch Jake.

 _"Pssh."_  Jake scoffed, throwing his friend a cocky grin, though he noticeably did not stop his relentless fidgeting.  _"Me,_  nervous? Come on, kid."

"Grandpa, you're nervous." Mike chuckled, nudging Jake's arm playfully, as Jake groaned and rubbed at his eyes.

"Hell yeah, I'm nervous." He finally admitted quietly, shaking his head as he sighed. "Last five years of my life have led up to this moment." He said, looking over at Mike with his brows raised. "If this doesn't work out, Lundgren gets off free, and qe lose everything... You're  _not_  nervous?"

"Nope." Mike sighed, his face falling as he shook his head distractedly. "Just  _terrified."_  He said, as a judge entered, and sat at the bench. Lundgren was led in, handcuffed and sans his beloved exoskeleton, his scowl more sinister than ever.

A well dressed attorney followed Lundgren to the defendants stand. "Your honour, defense wishes to present another article of evidence." He said, walking a stack of papers over to the bench.

The judge examined them carefully, as Jake and Mike traded glances briefly. "Witnesses Jacob McKenzie and Michael Darwin," he said, without looking up at them. "According to these documents, you both purchased anti-aircraft weapons, and delivered them to the Kharzistani government... Is this correct?" He asked, finally glancing over at them both curiously.

 _"No,_  your honour." Jake said firmly, scowling at Lundgren hatefully, his eyes narrowed at his former commanders smug grin.

Mike nervously addressed the judge, his voice reduced to barely a whisper. "Those weapons... were used  _against_  us, on a mission ordered by Commander Lundgren."

"And I guess I just  _accidentally_  filled out the wrong names on the report? Hogwash." Lundgren sneered, fixing hos icy gaze onto Mike. "Smearing a decorated officer has repercussions, son. Best to think, before you speak." He said menacingly.

"Michael Darwin," the judge called, attempting to gain Mike's attention, though his wide eyes remained locked on Lundgren's smug gaze. "Please repeat your testimony."

"What?" Mike gasped, his chest heaving as he visibly began to panic beneath Lundgren's heavy glare. "I said... uh..." He trailed off, falling silent as a rivulet of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"He said that the weapons we did  _not_  purchase, were used on us during a mission ordered by Commander Lundgren, your honour." Jake snarked, scowling at Lundgren as he rested his hand on Mike's arm.

"Now you listen, and you listen  _good,_  Jacob." Lundgren snarled, his expression twisting i to something dark and malicious. "I didn't get to the rank of-" Lundgren fell silent mid-sentence, as his attorney leaned over and whispered something in his ear urgently.

"Very well." The judge said, nodding his head thoughtfully. "I think my verdict is clear. Rex Lundgren." He said, fixing the large man with a piercing gaze. "On counts of conspiracy against the United States, perjury, and first degree murder... We find you guilty. The court awards you, a total of one hundred and eighty years i prison, to be served consecutively." He decreed, snapping his gavel down loudly.

Mike gasped, turning to Jake with his mismatched eyes blown wide in shock. "... I can't believe it." He breathed, shaking his head slowly in disbelief.

"We...  _did_  it." Jake choked, looking at Mike in a similar state of disbelief, as Mike's hand settled over Jake's, squeezing hard.

"Your honour, I served my country for forty one years..." Lundgren growled in disbelief, waving his handcuffed wrosts before him pointedly. "This is the thanks I get!? I  _made_  these boys who they are!"

Jake pushed himself to his feet, and looked Lundgren in the eyes. "I didn't become who I am because of  _you."_  He sneered, raising his chin defiantly. "I became who I am _in spite_  of you! And now, you've got plenty of time to think about what a spineless piece of garbage you really are!" He growled, his expression turning joyful suddenly, as a thought occurred to him. "Oh, and one more thing... Mike, give me a light?" He asked, taking a Cuban cigar from his pocket, as Mike smirked in fond amusement and tossed him a lighter.

"Sir, you can't smoke in here-" the judge began to say, only for Jake to snicker, as he lit the cigar anyway.

 _"Overruled."_  He said, taking a long drag, and blowing a smoke circle into Lundgren's face. "Mike, let's go get a cheeseburger and some apple pie... I'm feeling awful patriotic all of a sudden." He snickered, beaming a wide grin at Mike, as he offered him his hand.

Taylors reality came back into focus with a sharp stab of heartache, and ge moved to cover the offended organ with his hand, only to dins them interlinked with Jake's hands atop the helmet. "Was that-" Jake choked, as fresh tears began to fall from his eyes and Taylors alike; though for entirely different reasons.

Taylor quickly released Jake's hands, leaving the helmet in the pilots grasp as he hastily wiped his own eyes, forcing an unconvincing chuckle form his throat. He looked back at the pilot, as Jake exhaled a slow, ragged sigh. "We can  _beat_  him. In the system... There's a way we can do it!"

"That's right!" Taylor choked, painting a warm smile on his face, as his heart turned to ice in his chest. "I told you so..." He huffed, as he moved to turn away.

Jake quickly discarded the helmet and snagged Taylors waist, pulling him in as he leaned forward. Taylor pressed his hands to the pilots shoulders, weakly resisting until Jake's lips lowered to his own. Jake kissed him slow and deep, unknowingly causing Taylors heart to break further, as he stole his breath and his thoughts. When he finally broke away, Jake rested his forehead to Taylors, gazing at him in affectionate blindness, as Taylor focused his gaze on the pilots dog tags.

"Mike's sacrifice, all these years of running..." Jake said in awe, his fingers tracing Taylors cheekbone delicately.

"It'll all turn out for the best." Taylor forced himself to say, his voice soft as he tried to contain his grief. He cleared his throat, as he spotted movement by the doorway, stepping back from Jake and nudgung him towards the manor. "I think someone deserves to hear that." He said quietly, turning away slightly as Jake looked over to see Mike standing in the manor's doorway nervously, looking them both over.

Jake squeezed Taylors shoulder, before walking over to his friend. "Mike, I'm sorry..." He said, shaking his head shamefully, as Taylor sucked in a deep breath as quietly as he could; trying to cut off the rising hysteric grief in his heart, before it could consume him. "I just needed a minute. So much has happened, and I didn't know where to start. But, now I know where it could end. And when it does, we're gonna  _win."_  He said firmly, a huge grin spreading across his face.

A slight smile crept onto Mike's face, and Jake huffed a relieved chuckle, as he pulled him into a tight hug. Taylor quickly turned away, scrubbing his face hard to wipe away the fresh tears, trying to tramp down on the wave of grief which swept through him. "Alright, kid. Let's find some beers, and I'll tell you all about it." He said, drawing back, turning towards Taylor and frowning at his turned back. "Boy Scout?" He called, as Taylor raised his hand and waved them off. "You ain't comin'?" The pilot asked, his eyes widening as taylor turned with a wide grin, his emotions barely buried beneath his affection and love.

"Nah, you guys need some time." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. "I'm gonna see what the others are up to." He said, quickly turning away again, as his own mask began to crack.

"... I'll join you soon, alright, Boy Scout?" Jake called, still frowning as Taylor nodded and began to move away.

"Take your time!" He called, relieved his voice didn't crack, as the pilot disappeared into the manor. Mike hesitated, looking after Taylor as he stopped at the edge of the cliffs, before following after Jake into the manor.

Taylor exhaled heavily, staring blankly out at the colourful sky, thinking back to the vision which should have filled him with hope and joy at his pilots success.  _Except it didn't... Because, it confirmed it. I won't be there_. He thought, sitting down at the edge of the cliff and curling his knees up to his chest.  _I was right... Freeing Mike, convinces Jake to go back. And together, they'll take down Lundgren... But I won't be there to see it with him, to share it with him._  He thought brokenly, his heart twisting as he shook his head dejectedly. _Whatever time we have left here on La Huerta... That's it. Then the real world will be back, and._.. He sucked in a deep breath, and rolled his head back, trying to stop his throat from burning as he gazed up at the first signs of night in the sky. He swallowed heavily, pursing his lips briefly, before exhaling a deep sigh.

 _Okay... So, whatever time we **do** have left, I should cherish. Because while we're here, he's mine. Once he goes back though... That's Mike's time. So, I might as well stop worrying about it._ He thought, a strange calm settling over him suddenly, as he resigned himself to the future they'd been dealt. _We have had some pretty amazing times... And there's no reason we can't have more. We have no idea how long it's actually gonna take us to fix the world anyway... It could be the equivalent of years away_. He told himself, perking at the thought of spending a lifetime with Jake, before they fixed the real world, and the pilot could return to his real life with Mike. He bit his lip, immediately feeling guilty for the thought and pushing it from his mind.

"Hey Taylor, you hungry?" Diego called, drawing Taylors attention from his tumultuous emotions as he walked over, his brows raising in concern as he noticed Taylors state. "Dude-"

"I'm fine." Taylor lied swiftly, pushing himself to his feet and slinging his arm around Diego's shoulder, taking comfort in his friends distracting presence without Diego realising. "So, what's for eatin'?" He asked, turning Diego and leading him back to the others.

They rejoined the others, quickly sitting at a makeshift picnic ddinner with the Anachronists. As they ate, laughed and traded stories, Taylor found himself drifting blankly, lost somewhere just beyond his own thoughts. By the time he finally tuned back in to the world around him, day had turned to night. "You rode a T-rex? Damn!" Craig whistled, staring at one of the Anachronists in awe.

Furball sniffed st Taylors plate, and he offered it to the small fox, allowing him to begin nipping at what he wished. " _Mup... Mrrp_..." He chittered, though he often cast furtive glances at Taylor.

"Doesn't travelling among only tei ir three time periods get boring foe you all?" The Anachronist asked curiously, his brow furrowing above his bandana.

"I don't know if I'd call it  _boring..."_  Aleister huffed, shaking his head as Grace quietly moved to sit beside him, tentatively leaning against him as she closed her eyes. Aleister blinked, looking over at Taylor accusingly, only for him to wave and grin tiredly.

"I have photos of the Pleistocene Era, inside the manor, if anyone would care to see them." The spiky haired Vaanti offered.

"Hell yeah!" Zahra scoffed, beaming a wide grin at the Vaanti and bumping hr fist to theirs proudly.

"Absolutely!" Quinn agreed, giggling excitedly as she scooted closer to them. Taylor gazed out toward the moonlit cliffs, sighing as how heart fluttered, before it settled once more; resignation weighing like a heavy blanket, over his other emotions. He was about to finally follow the others, when a white corner oeeked up over the edge of the cliff.

"Is that... a  _sail?"_  He wondered aloud, running over to the cliff edge to hear a crack amid the water. He looked down to see the Dorado, floating atop the waves.

Yvonne leaned out from beneath the rigging, and called up to him. "Ahoy, Taylor!" She yelled, waving as Taylor broke out in a wide grin.

"Yvonne!" He called back, waving eagerly to the pirate. "You're alright!" He cheered, waving his arms in the air to show his relief.

"Mais oui, and look who I found..." She called, grinning from ear to ear as she gestured to the blond beside her.

"I found  _you,_  you algae covered hermit crab!" Malatesta growled, scowling over at Yvonne, before glancing up at Taylor petulantly.

"Taylor, gather your friends and come aboard!" Yvonne called. Her eyes widening as a surprising urgency touched her voice. "We must talk, tout suite!"

Taylor frowned, turning back towards the manor reluctantly. He sighed, knowing that if Yvonne and Malatesta both thought it important, he didn't have a choice but to finally move their journey onward; even if it drew them closer to the end. "Okay..." He called glancing back to wave at the pirates below. "I'll get everyone." He said, hurrying to the manor and finding the group in the ballroom. He quickly explained, and led then down a narrow path along the cliffs towards the Dorado.

Within minutes he and his friends, along with the curious Anachronist Vaanti, were gathered on the deck of the Dorado. Yvonne cleared her throat, her face falling as she looked around them. "Mes amis, something foul is afoot..." She said, pointing out across the sea. A flickering crimson glow ran along the horizon, and Taylor scoffed quietly and shook his head, immediately understanding that his time had expired.

"Damn." Raj sighed, scowling at the decking in frustration. "Promised myself I wasn't gonna stay up until sunrise anymore."

"That isn't the sun, boy." Malatesta growled, eyeing Raj consideringly. "Look closer." He said quietly, surprisingly taking pity on the large boy.

Taylor sighed, gazing out into the distance, where tongues of fire were rising from the glow. "The lavas getting closer." He said blankly, a wry grin twisting his lips. "The barrier keeping the island safe is shrinking." He explained, as Raj's face fell.

"Distance to the horizon is one point seven times the square root if the viewers height from sea level." Grace rambled, staring at the horizon nervously, as her hand unconsciously slid onto Aleister's. "In other words..."

"Not very far." The pale boy concluded gently, squeezing her hand as he looked down at her affectionately.

Quinn gazed into the distant haze, seemingly transfixed. "Its the Heart." She said suddenly, turning to Taylor urgently.

"The Heart?" He repeated, frowning as he glanced back tlat the flaming horizon. "What do you mean?"

"Think about how much has happened to it..." She implored, hr hands rising to her chest as she shook her head. "Being broken for so long, Rourke draining its power... Its no longer strong enough to maintain the time anomaly that preserves the island." She explained sadly.

"So, we have to join the two halves together." Estela reasoned, exhaling heavily as she looked out at the flaming horizon nervously.  _"Soon."_

"Okay, whoa." Craig cried, turning to Estela with a slack jaw. "Were you taking a nap, when this dude fed the Heart to Cetus?" He asked incredulously, jerking his thumb towards Malatesta.

"A mistake I rue, believe me." Malatesta admitted, scratching his chin guiltily. "But, I'm willin' to risk my life to see it made right..." He said, scowling ad he slammed his fist into his opposing palm. "We must bring down the beast... and tear the stone from its gut! Are ye with me?"

"So long as you lay off the detailed descriptions." Taylor mumbled, grimacing in disgust at the pirates choice of words. He took a deep breath, before looking about his friends determinedly. "Guys, its time to finish Cetus...  _Once,_  and for  _all."_


	9. You Are A Warrior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aloha... so flr a few years now i have always tried to post on my birthday - and this year is no different. Its now half past midnight on the 26th july; so here it is! Woooo! Feel my glorious joy!
> 
> Well, it will be glorious if you enjoy it, because if it turned out i wrote a bunch of drivel, i would not be so joyous...  
> So... i hope you enjoy this addition! 
> 
> I JUST REALISED HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO THE END!!! :O
> 
> Scared now... i mean, i know theres still quite a ways though cuz... well - ypi dont know yet cuz its a toghtly kept secret on the plot pot.  
> In case it doesnt show, im slightly sleep deprived now and talking nonsense.... so... sorry bout that. XD hope it didnt affect the chapter :/
> 
> So without futther ado from the crazy me; thabkyou all for being awesome and making me wanna keep going with your fantastic comments qnd encouragemebts xxxxx
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_Cetus my old friend, who... let's face it, was never my friend... Well, it was a long time coming bud; but, we always knew I was gonna kick your slimy ass one day..!_

_And then you..._

_In a world where I had been so accustomed to knowing everything, you went and surprised me again. I uh, I never said sorry... for reacting the way I did... Ha, what you must have thought. Sorry._..

**9.**

**You Are A Warrior**.

Taylor looked around his friends, humming to himself lightly, as they stared at the fiery horizon in horror. Diego frowned, recognizing the tune suddenly, and turned towards him in exasperation. "Dude, why are you singing the 'Chicken Tonight' jingle?"

"I'm not." Taylor said, grinning goofily as he winked at Diego, who was already rolling his eyes in anticipation of whatever reply he had in mind. "I'm singing 'I feel like  _Sushi_  Tonight'!" He said, snickering as Diego closed his eyes and hung his head, his shoulders noticeably shaking with the effort not to laugh.

"Dude, how can you be making ne laugh when you're asking us to face a giant mythological sea serpent..?" He huffed, looking back up at him as he sucked in a stabilizing breath, his eyes lit by terror and amusement in one. "You are  _such_  an assbutt."

"Oh, c'mon Diego, you know its true." Taylor said, shaking his fist menacingly at the sky. "We must defeat Cetus,  _once_  and for  _all!"_  He said imperiously.

"Right." Jake snorted, looking over at him in blatant adoration and amusement. "You uh, got an atomic bomb hidden somewhere, Boy Scout?" He asked, raising a brow as he grinned over at Taylor fondly.

"No..." Taylor hedged, his heart racing in its joy at being with his pilot again, though it was tempered by the heavy blanket of resignation. "But," he said, his lips twitching with amusement despite his emotional disturbance. "I have; the  _power of Grey Skull!"_  He cried, snickering when several of his friends laughed and relaxed slightly, his pilot stepping closer to nudge his side playfully.

"That what's in ya pocket?" He asked quietly, winking in amusement when Taylor frowned and looked down at himself curiously. "Or ya just happy to see me?"

"I'm  _always_  happy to see you," Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes affectionately, his breath catching as Jake's fingers brushed briefly against his own. "But if you just wanna make parts of me go  _boom,_  you're gonna have to wait awhile. We got a bigger fish to fry first, sadly." He said, grinning lopsidedly when Jake burst out laughing.

"If what we did at Elyys'tel wasn't enough to bring down the Sea Guardian..." Varyyn said, shaking his head dejectedly, distracting Jake and Taylor from each other. "I doubt it can ever be done."

"Okay, Diego..." Taylor huffed, feigning a pained grimace, as he clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Please take a minute to educate your Elyyshar lover as to the definition of a 'Negative Nancy,' and please inform him that there are no Negative Nancy's allowed on this mission." He said, as Diego frowned at him and nudged his arm.

"Dude, what is  _with_  you?" He asked curiously, shaking his head in exasperation and confusion, as Taylor merely grinned and shrugged, avoiding the question entirely.

"Guys," Craig said loudly, his eyes wide as a sudden thought occurred to him. "He ate the Heart a few days ago! What goes in, must come out, right?" He said, as Taylor laughed at the look of disgust on so many of his friends faces.

"I  _know_  you're not suggesting we go look for sea monster droppings." Michelle scoffed, scowling at the jock furiously.

"Well, I found out last year that chewing gum doesn't actually stay in your body for seven years, so-" he offered defensively, as Zahra laid her hand on his arm.

"Stop talking, doofus." She said, clearly trying hard to hold back her laughter, as she half covered her mouth with her free hand, the occasional snigger breaking free regardless.

"Can we come back to the whole, 'killing a legendary beast' thing?" Sean asked, looking around the easily distracted group in exasperation.

"What's the  _point?!"_  Zahra sighed in exasperation, shaking her head as she dropped her hand from Craig's arm and turned towards Sean with a scowl. "We can't keep up with him. We just  _can't."_  She said, firmly and slowly, her words seeming to resonate with everyone, as a heavy despondency settled heavily on the faces of his friends.

"Oh, come on... You're not gonna let one itty bitty asshole fishy get the better of you, are you?" Taylor asked, frowning around them all, even as Jake's hand slid into his own and squeezed gently. "We've beaten the odds before!" He cried, looking around them all imploringly. "Did you guys forget, just how much we've  _already_  survived?" He asked, gesturing between his friends, the Anachronist Vaanti and the pirates as he continued. "We're some of the brightest, most capable people anywhere. We've got time travellers, pilots, expert hackers, strategic minds  _and..._  A Boy Scout." He said, snickering when everyone groaned at his final addition.

"Hey, that one's  _mine."_  Jake said, winking at him as he threw a mock glare around the others. "You lot keep ya grubby hands off." He sneered playfully, grinning when they all chuckled appreciatively.

Taylor looked around his friends fondly, exhaling a loaded sigh as he shrugged his shoulders, the resignation in his heart dulling all other emotions. "I'm  _done,_  worrying about odds." He said lightly, smiling crookedly as he looked up at the night sky briefly, before turning back to his friends again. "I'm  _done,_  worrying about if we'll make it." He said, looking over at Jake, as the pilot squeezed his hand and frowned at him, breaking into a bright grin. "Because I  _know_  we will." He added, thinking of all the hopeful futures his friends had ahead of them; the resignation smothering his heart, making it easier to pretend he didn't long to be there to share it with them."

 _"Woo!"_  Michelle giggled, clapping her hands appreciatively, before offering him a high five. "Say it again for the people in the back, Taylor!" She cheered joyfully.

"Boy Scout is pretty good at making odds look stupid, I gotta say." Jake mused, the wide grin on his face barely touching the soft affection in his gaze, as he drew Taylors fingers to his lips and winked at him.

Taylor grinned, about to crack a highly hilarious comment about what else Jake could kiss, when Estela stood beside him with a resolute nod. "We can do this. And we  _will."_  She said, as Furball yipped in agreement, before he began to chase his tail.

Taylors grin faltered as Mike rose to his feet and looked to him imploringly, specifically seeking to meet Taylors gaze. "Let... let me help." He pleaded, his mismatched eyes widening at Taylors hesitance.  _"Please."_  He pressed, his eyes finally shifting from Taylors as Jake moved towards him and grasped his shoulder.

"You  _got_  it, kid." He promised, as Taylor sighed and smiled softly, his eyes lowering to the floor briefly as his heart fluttered with jealousy beneath the thick tide of resignation. "No one's  _ever_  leaving you behind again." Jake assured, as Taylor cleared his throat quietly and looked back up to find Mike frowning at him over Jake's shoulder.

"Believe in each other, guys." Raj cried, throwing his arms in the air as he beamed a huge grin at them all. "We  _got_  this."

"I'd follow you to hell and back, Taylor." Sean said, grinning as Taylor flushed with embarrassment, and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Thanks for keeping up our morale." The athlete added with a quick wink.

 _"Chyeah!"_  Craig cheered, clapping his hands to Raj's loudly. "Let's  _do_  this!" He roared, grinning at them all widely, as Zahra rolled her eyes and sighed at his energetic display.

"Braveheart would've been proud of that speech, Taylor." Diego snickered, grinning over at him goofily, as Taylor grinned back and hummed at his praise.

"Let's put our heads together!" Grace said, clasping her hands together eagerly, looking up sat Aleister with a joyful and encouraging smile.

"Well," Jake sighed, turning back to Taylor and strolling over slowly, his hands in his jacket pockets. "If I had to die, fighting a sea monster to save the world..." He said thoughtfully, leaning forward to tip his head to Taylors, who grinned goofily at Jake's cocky but affectionate behaviour. "I wouldn't wanna do it with  _anyone_  else, Boy Scout." He murmured, freeing a hand to trail his fingers along Taylors jaw, before finally cupping his cheek.

"Hmmm," Taylor hummed fondly, as his heart fluttered with longing and desire, relishing the pilots soft grin and cherishing his every show of affection; while he was still able to. "Right back at ya, Top Gun." He said softly, his stomach clenching at the ominous time limit hanging over their remaining time together.

The Anachronist Vaanti glanced at one another, uncertainty in their eyes. "We've always avoided interfering with time transcendent entities..." Said the spiky haired female, as Taylor blinked slowly, his lip twitching with amusement as he recalled his own status; residing outside of time.

"True," The Clockmaker said thoughtfully, her goggles clicking between lenses as she considered Taylor intently. "But, with La Huerta's chronoscape shrinking away, we've little choice." She said, shaking herself from her private musings, as she turned to the others. "We must help Taylor, in any way we can."

"Since Cetus is drawn to the Heart..." Quinn said thoughtfully, catching Taylors eyes as he reluctantly drew back from Jake. "Maybe we could use the half we have, to lure him out?" She suggested, as Kele hummed on consideration.

"Dicey move, but it's a start." He said, his dimples showing as he smiled, watching Quinn turn pink and bite her lip with interest. "Could put us in the hot seat..." He said in gentle warning.

"Yeah, he'll probably lay down some harsh DPS with that lightning..." Zahra reminded them, as her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Ah!" Yvonne gasped, her eyes widening in sudden realisation. "I had forgotten that the beast keeps a storm in his belly... Lightning could be very bad for the Dorado, amis." She said, frowning worriedly.

"You'll need a Faraday Cage." The Clockmaker advised, as Taylor raised his brows and glanced around, hoping he wasn't the only one lost.

"A  _what_  cage?" Sean asked, allowing Taylor to grin and sag in relief, pleased not to have had to ask for himself. He turned as Jake snorted, watching him with blatant amusement and causing him to flush guiltily.

"Faraday." The Clockmaker repeated, as Taylor cleared his throat and pointedly turned away from Jake's knowing and cocky grin. "They're designed to redistribute and pull electrical currents away harmlessly. We could perhaps simulate the effect around the ship, with nets and wiring." She explained, as Grace gasped suddenly.

"I did a similar project in Robotics class..." She said, her eyes widening as she tapped her fingers together quickly. "I should be able to help set it up!" She said, breaking out in a wide smile as she began looking around for materials.

"Okay, but how about our  _offensive?"_  Jake asked pointedly, turning to face Malatesta. "Blondbeard, you got any ammunitions on this relic?"

"Enough to blow half a fleet to high heaven." Malatesta chuckled, smirking smugly as he stroked his beard, while Yvonne rolled her eyes just behind him.

Taylor looked around his friends proudly, his throat tight from the overwhelming sense of love and affection he felt for them all, along with a tendril of encroaching loss; sensing that destroying Cetus would spell the beginning of the end, of their time together. "Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us." He said, smiling wistfully as he winked at them all. "Lets get to it..." He said, waiting til they'd turned away before a huge grin lit his face. " _Thundercats; hooo_!" He cried loudly, laughing hard when several people jumped in surprise.

"Okay, who let Taylor have sugar?" Diego demanded, though he fought against his own amused laughter.

"Dunno, but I got plans for what to do with his excess energy." Jake snarked, grinning at Taylor fondly and nudging his arm lightly, as Taylor sucked in a deep breath and steadied himself. "So, who we helpin' Boy Scout?" He asked in a quieter tone, tipping his head to where their friends had broken into small groups, strung across the deck.

"Hmm?" Taylor hummed, clearing his throat to rid himself of his tapering giggles. "Oh, yeah, no.  _I'm_  gonna go get changed. I think this suit, while looking awesome on me, is not suited to intense, mythological sea monster battle." He said, grinning knowingly as his pilot stepped closer and curled an arm around his waist. "Thinkin' of lending a helping hand again, huh?"

"Nope." Jake said quietly, leaning close to brush his lips over Taylors ear. "Thinkin' of fucking." He murmured seriously, as Taylor burst out laughing, his eyes softening as his heart swelled with love and affection.

"Hey,  _hey!"_  Diego's voice cut across the building haze of desire and arousal around him, and he blinked, to see his friend approaching with a scowl. "I see those ba-dump, ba-dump heart eyes, I  _know_  what you're thinking.  _Not this time!_  I am not being traumatized by  _you_  manhandling my best friend again!" He fumed, jabbing Jake in the chest accusingly, as the pilot scowled back at him.

"But... I  _like_  being manhandled by him..." Taylor pouted, earning himself a wink from his pilot, though Diego barely glanced towards him.

"Shut up, Taylor." He said, jabbing Jake again and pushing him towards one of the other groups. "You,  _get._  Do  _not_  make me set Hannibal on you... You would not like when he gets angry."

"What the-" Jake scoffed, as Diego firmly directed him across the deck, cutting off any attempt he made to duck around him, much to the pilots rising frustration.  _"Goddamn_  it, what the hell-"

"Vaanti training, at its best." Diego said smugly, forcing Jake over to help one of the groups.

"Is  _that_  what you and Varryn call it?" Taylor called, causing Diego to trip. He sniggered and waved as Diego spun to glare at him, his cheeks stained red beneath his beard. "See you in ten." He said, heading below deck to get changed.

He set his bag into a hammock, frowning as he tapped it nervously for a minute, before taking a deep breath and slowly drawing out his Anachronist gear.  _A little extra time sounds like it might come in handy._.. He thought, biting his lip as he ran his hand over the silky fabric, his thoughts turning to the last time he'd worn the outfit.  _What if I could do something to help? Like, when Rourke tried to-_  he swallowed heavily, pinching the thought off abruptly, as he pulled off his jacket roughly. He shoved it in his bag uncaringly, before exhaling heavily, forcing himself to recall the memory.  _The feel of that strand was so different, but not..._  He thought, remembering how the strand of time had struggled in his grasp.  _But, if I could find something similar around Cetus... Or even just, figure out how to reverse the time inside him since he ate the Heart_..? He wondered, before scoffing and shaking his head at himself, tugging off his tie and shoving it in hos bad after his jacket.  _How the hell am i supposed to help, if I can't even get a handle on how this stupid time manipulation stuff works_? He thought sourly, reaching to unbutton his shirt, only to pause suddenly, as he heard quiet footsteps approaching.

He snorted in amusement, a wide grin spreading across his face, as he pooped the first button through its hole. "So, you escaped Canis the super cockblocker, huh? You  _that_  desperate, Top Gun?" He asked with a snicker, looking over at the doorway expectantly, only for his face to flush suddenly in shock. "Oh, uh... I thought... Um, this... This is  _really_  awkward." He rambled, his voice slowly quieting to a mumble, before he cleared his throat pointedly. "Sorry."

"No, it's, uh... I should've knocked, or, something." Mike said, his cheeks stained from Taylors obvious insinuations. An awkward silence hung between them, as Mike hovered in the doorway and stared at the nearest hammock, while Taylor looked down at his bag and toyed with a strap on his Anachronist clothing.

"I was just... gonna change." Taylor said at last, puffing his cheeks out as he glanced up at the soldier and gestured loosely towards the clothing he'd pulled from his bag. "I uh, I think Jake's-"

"No, I know I heard." Mike said awkwardly, his blush increasing as he shook his head quickly. "No, wait, I didn't mean-" he rambled, gesturing vaguely with his hands before giving up with a sigh. "I uh, I wanted to talk to you.  _Without,_  uh... without Grandpa, stickin' his beak in." He finally got out, clearing his throat, as Taylor looked down at his bag again.

"Oh." He said quietly, biting his lip as he toyed with his Anachronist gear loosely. "Um... D'you mind if I..?" He asked, lifting the jacket sleeve and wiggling it vaguely. "We're kind of on a...  _ahem..._  a schedule."

"Oh, uh... Of course." Mike said, turning around quickly to allow Taylor to change in semi-privacy. "I've uh, I've heard a lot about you." He said, as Taylor covered his face with his hands and gave a silent scream of disbelief and frustration. "It's only been a day, but, he hasn't shut up about you."

"He uh, he does like to hear himself talk." Taylor hedged, as he shook his head and quickly stripped off his shirt and tossed it in his bag, before grabbing his Anachronist top and quickly tugging it over his head.

"Yeah, about  _himself_  maybe." Mike huffed, shaking his head slowly. "I ain't never heard him talk so much about another person. Not even Rebecca, and he bragged about her plenty-"

"Yeah well, its been awhile since you last spoke." Taylor snapped, immediately freezing and regretting his harsh jibe. He glanced over at Mike's stiff frame, seeing the other mans shoulders fall slightly. "I'm sorry... I shouldn'-"

"No. It's true." Mike said, looking to the ceiling, as Taylor awkwardly slipped out of his suit pants and swapped them for his Anachronist trousers. "It's alright, in fact, its kinda refreshing... Grandpa keeps treatin' me like I'm some kinda precious china, he's scared might break."

"Maybe you are..." Taylor said, hoping the bitterness in his voice wasn't too noticeable. "To  _him."_  He added, glancing over at the soldier as he frowned thoughtfully. "How much do you remember?" He asked suddenly, his hand clenching briefly, before he bent to exchange his shoes.

"Uh, I don't-" Mike said hesitantly, glancing back when he heard Taylor scoff derisively behind him. Upon seeing Taylor had changed, he turned, frowning at the scowl aimed towards him.

"Look, you came down here to talk to  _me,_  I sure as hell didn't ask you to." Taylor snorted, his patience exhausted as his heart lurched, disturbing the heavy blanket of resignation smothering him enough to allow his resentment free reign. "In fact, you're probably the  _last_  person I would've asked to come down here and keep me company... Now, I don't mind and all, 'cause I know how much you mean to Jake, but if you have something to say, or you wanna warn me away or  _whatever;_  let's just be honest and get it over with." He said, pausing mid-swing of his jacket over his arms. "And to take my own advice, that was a lie... Because I really,  _really_  do mind, ya know? I mean, he literally, means  _everything_  to me and I thought that... that we...  _Shit."_  He groaned, hanging his head as his throat constricted painfully.

He was startled from his pain a moment later, when Mikey began to snigger quietly. When he turned to the man incredulously, Mike began to laugh hard, his mismatched eyes dancing with amusement and delight. "Holy shit, he was tellin' the truth! I thought for sure the bastard was having me on..." He sighed, shaking his head as he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Ya know, I'm gonna  _like_  you. I can tell." He said, grinning as he leaned against the doorframe. "Man, he must've laughed his ass off when you first told him."

"What?" Taylor snarked, his temper rising under the other mans amusement. "That I was jealous of his dead best friend? Yeah, he found that  _hilarious,_  almost as much as discovering you weren't dead." He groused sourly, as Mike's mirth died, his eyes lowering to the floor.

"I never intended any of  _that_  to happen..." Mike said quietly, his pain obvious in his drooping shoulders. "I just, wanted him to be okay. That was all that mattered..."

"You know Jake better than anyone." Taylor snarked, narrowing his eyes at the other man knowingly. "You tell me again you didn't know how he'd feel." He demanded, as Mike pointedly remained silent. Taylor felt his frustration grow, a pulse in the back of his mind which beat with his heart, but radiated with resentment and yearning combined. "Tell me again, you didn't know what it would do to him to  _lose you."_  He said, his eyes stinging as his lip trembled briefly, before he sucked it between his teeth.

"... I couldn't let him die too." Mike finally admitted quietly, raising his tortured gaze to Taylors. "He was like the annoying older brother I never wanted, and he's barely three months older than me." He huffed, moving into the room and flopping into a hammock, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully. "First day at Naval Academy, in walks this scruffy, attitude riddled little shit; determined to pick a fight, and  _boy,_  did he." He scoffed, as Taylor reluctantly sat in the opposite hammock, silently absorbing the freely offered information. "So off he goes, mouthin' off at this asshole who was probably three times his size and weight, about how he was gonna be the best damn pilot the world had ever seen, so everyone else should just 'piss off home already'."

"Hmm, doesn't sound like him at all." Taylor hummed quietly, the pulse in the back of his mind fading as he lost himself to his affection for the pilot. He recalled Jake's initial hostility towards Sean, and chuckled quietly, a reluctant grin tugging at his lips.

"Heh, cocky little bastard took the beating of a lifetime..." Mike recalled, as he sniggered lightly. "Then lo and behold, the guys my damn bunkmate... Split lip, eyebrow, black eye. He just looks at me with this cocky grin and says; one day, I'm gonna beat him." Mike sighed, shaking his head as he scratched his ear. "That was it. No, grand introduction, no bonding sappy shit where he saved my ass or I saved his; just some arrogant little git, and his cocky grin... And I just..."

"Tagged along for the whirlwind McKenzie ride." Taylor supplied, thinking back to his journey with Jake through the mines, what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I dunno, somethin' just clicked, ya know? Like, two pieces from the same puzzle." Mike mused, before quickly turning towards Taylor. "But that's what I came to say; not that kinda puzzle. I love him like a brother, and I'd die for him any day, but he is all  _yours_  in  _that_  department, Kiddo."

Taylor huffed, his heart fluttering weakly, desperately wanting to believe the other mans words. "Mike, you dying; him  _thinking_  you had, it almost killed  _him_  last time..." He said slowly, looking up at the soldier despondently. "Please, if he means anything to you at all, don't ever put him through that again... Because it took three years, for him to be able to even let anyone in again this time. Next time, I don't think there'd be any coming back." He said quietly, as Mike lowered his gaze to his lap thoughtfully.

"You're good for him." Mike said suddenly, as Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes. "You make him think, keep him on his toes. He needs that, he'd go nuts if life were-"

"Boring." Taylor said, snickering at the other mans surprised but pleased grin. "Yeah, I keep him guessing alright... Usually intentionally, though, there may have been a few that were uh... Unintentional." He hedged, biting wincing guiltily as Mike laughed.

"Yeah, I heard about your habit of actin' first." He said, looking taylor over consideringly. "I reckon that's why ya so pissed about me." He added thoughtfully.

 _"What?!"_  Taylor yelped, his eyes widening in disbelief, as Mike laughed and shook his head.

"You just gave me a solid ear chewin' for putting his life ahead of mine..." Mike said, winking conspiratorially. "But it's 'cause you do the same damn thing. I can see it in you; there's nothin' you wouldn't do for him." He said knowingly.

Taylor lowered his eyes, his chest caving as his hands tightened in the hammock.  _"Nothing..."_  He agreed, looking up at Mike with his resignation plain to see in his eyes. "Except the one thing I want to..." He admitted, scuffing his shoes against the floor lightly.

"Huh?" Mike frowned, leaning forward and peering at Taylor intently, who sighed wearily.

"I can't leave the island." Taylor said, and Mike's lack of response told him Jake had already explained their previous attempt to leave. "But... Jake's going to." He said, his eyes stinging as he met Mike's wide eyed gaze calmly. "With  _you."_

"He ain't about to leave-" Mike scoffed in disbelief, as Taylor huffed in resigned amusement.

"His future is already plotted, and it isn't to stay here on La Huerta. It's to go and make Lundgren pay for everything he's done." Taylor said, twisting and leaning back to look up at the ceiling vacantly. "You and Jake, will make that miserable bastard pay, and I am  _so_  proud of him for that... But, I won't be there. I won't be able to cheer for him. Support him. That'll all be on  _you."_  He said, turning to look at the other man with his heavily resigned gaze. "And after everything he's been through? I'd say he's earned a little pay back." He concluded quietly, sighing, before pushing himself from the hammock and fastening the clips on his jacket.

"How can you be so... calm about it?" Mike asked, frowning as Taylor snorted and paused, turning towards him with a raised brow.

"Dude, calm is a foreign word here." He scoffed, shaking his head as Mike pushed to his feet and watched Taylor intently. "I could shout and scream about how unfair it is, about how much I love him and fates a cruel bastard... But who's gonna get most hurt by that?" He asked pointedly, as Mike's face fell in realisation. "So, I'll cherish what time we have. And then, when he's gone, I'll just... remember him. And miss him. And wish like hell that he were here with me. That they all were." He said, lowering his gaze as he grabbed his bag and swung it over his shoulder.

"... Damn." Mike huffed, his hand coming to rest on Taylors shoulder. "You really do think the world of him, don't ya?" He asked, shaking his head as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"More than you'll ever know." Taylor huffed quietly, gripping his bag tightly as the blanket of resignation once more smothered his more turbulent emotions. "Please, whatever happens. Take care of him, and yourself. Don't make him go through that again. Don't... make him be  _alone_  again." He asked awkwardly.

Mike chuckled, clapping his hand on Taylors shoulder again fondly. "You got it, Kid." He assured, before cocking his head in consideration. "Grandpa ever tell you about the time he got caught, tryin' to brew his own booze at the Academy?" He asked suddenly, as Taylor shook his head slowly. Mike chuckled, stepping back and gesturing for Taylor to lead the way, as he launched into tales about Jake during his Academy years.

Taylor absorbed the information gratefully, his heart aching for the future he would miss, but content, in the knowledge he could gain. He laughed quietly, as Mike told him of Jake's antics at the Academy, and how he almost got himself thrown out on several occasions. When they finally returned to the deck, he was almost reluctant to part from the man. "I uh, I should probably help out. I always seem to be getting changed when we get started on the hard work." He said, frowning thoughtfully before shrugging dismissively. "Thanks for the uh, thing. And stuff." He said awkwardly, saluting Mike roughly, as the soldier snorted in amusement.

"You'd be a shit soldier, salutin' like that." He snickered gleefully, as Taylor huffed and scowled at him petulantly.

"Hey, watch it Bucky Barnes, I can go back to just silently hatin' on you anytime." He said, only succeeding in making Mike laugh harder. He scowled and turned away, looking around to see Grace, Aleister and Zahra going over defensive designs with The Clockmaker, re-checking chalk diagrams they'd made on the decking. Meanwhile, Michelle and Quinn had stockpiled supplies, and were now combing through everything and organizing it into piles according to usefulness.

"Oh man... No wonder he's so smitten." Mike finally gasped, shaking his head as he sniggered to himself quietly. "You're  _hilarious."_  He huffed, ruffling Taylors hair fondly, before moving away to go find and help Jake.

Taylor frowned, uncertain what to make of the other man, but unable to hate him now he'd spoken with him. He sighed, shaking his head and pushing Mike from his mind as he looked around for a distraction.

He caught sight of movement, and turned to watch, as Yvonne drew the cutlass he'd returned to her. With a kiss to the hilt, she began taking flashy practice swings. "Chou Chou, I hope you're ready to taste sea monster!" She said, beaming a wide grin at the blade.

 _"That's_  where my sword went!" Malatesta growled, storming over to her with a furious scowl. "You thieving, unsavoury  _picaroon!"_

"Oh  _crap..."_  Taylor sighed, moving away as Yvonne grit her teeth into a sneer at the pirate captain. Malatesta launched himself at her, knocking her to the deck, as they began to wrestle over the cutlass.

"Non! I won't..." Yvonne growled, shoving Malatesta off of her briefly, only for him to roll and re-pin her to the deck. "Let you... take Chou Chou from me!"

"Take it... from  _you?!"_  Malatesta sneered, scowling at her hatefully. "This blade is  _mine,_  forged by my own two hands!" He roared, as Yvonne struggled beneath him.

 _ **"C'est n'importe quoi**_!" She choked, her eyes widening in sudden disbelief. "I stole Chou Chou from the corpse of-"

"Admiral Higgenbotham, who stole it from  _me!"_  He said scathingly, as Yvonne shook her head disbelievingly. "It's just like you to take and take, until there's nothing left in the world but yer damned ego!"

"As if you have the right to accuse others," she scoffed, trying to wriggle free of his hold. "You self centered monstrosity!" She growled scathingly.

Malatesta leaned his scowling face toward Yvonne's, his voice a throaty snarl. "I  _loved_  you, Yvie... You were the center of my world." He said, his voice breaking even through its fury, a Taylor grimaced and looked away awkwardly, not wanting to get involved in the intimate exchange.

"Ha!" Yvonne cackled derisively, looking up at him in blatant disbelief. "And what of Lisette? Your little mistress?" She scoffed maliciously, as squirmed and tried to break free.

"How  _dare_  you!" Malatesta roared, his eyes widening in shock briefly, before his furious scowl returned forcefully. "Ever since you lost Patrice-"

"Stop talking." Yvonne said suddenly, falling still as she stared up at him in wide eyed shock, her obvious pain over the recent goodbye she'd shared still raw.  _"Now."_  She demanded warningly, her lip trembling.

"You've been a cold hearted," Malatesta continued, unheeding of her sudden change in attitude.  _"Selfish,_  piece of-" with a loud crack, Yvonne backhanded Malatesta hard across the face, immediately squirming free and taunting him angrily with the cutlass.

"We do not have time for this  _childish prattle!"_  Aleister roared, stepping between them as they both glared at each other hatefully.

"Someone who doesn't have attachment to the sword should decide who gets it." Quinn said, frowning as she stepped up to the pair.

Malatesta glared at Yvonne as he snatched the cutlass from her, leaning down to place it on the deck between them, as Aleister moved aside. "Fair enough." The pirate captain agreed, as he ran his eyes over them all. "What say  **you,**  Taylor?" He asked, as his eyes settled onto him.

"Me? Oh, uh..." He hedged, feeling distinctly awkward as his eyes darted between them. He looked around his friends, who gazed back at him, expectant and unhelpful. He sighed and looked back to the pirates, puffing out his cheeks as he raised a finger and bit his lip. "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo..." He muttered, as Diego began to snigger and laugh. "Hey, shut up assbutt, I'd like to see  _you_  do better!" He snarked, scowling back at his friend before looking back at the pirates grumpily. "Fine, ya know what I don't care. Yvonne, you keep the blasted thing." He groused, folding his arms over his chest and scowling at the floor petulantly, his cheeks flaming with heat.

"If she can fight better with it, she should have it." Jake agreed, smiling affectionately as he moved closer and nudged Taylors shoulder, distracting him from his sulking.

"Yeah, but if he made the sword, it seems unfair to take it away from him..." Sean said uncertainly, frowning as he watched Malatesta's expression fall.

"She's the one who's been there for us." Michelle said, her hands on her hips as she looked over at Taylor with an approving nod. "I say she deserves it."

"Thank you, Taylor." Yvonne said, picking up the cutlass and tucking it into her belt with a loving pat on the hilt.

"Don't thank me," Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as he dropped his arms to his sides and glared between the pirates. "Just feel lucky I didn't get to finish eeny meeny; 'cause who knows where that crazy shit would've led." He groused, as activity slowly came back to life across the deck.

Jake gently snagged Taylors elbow as everyone moved away, about to say something when Sean approached. "Taylor, it might be smart to get a better view of the area, from back at the cliffs."

"Yeah, that's uh, just what I was gonna say." Jake coughed, scratching his ear as he released Taylors arm.

"You were  _not."_  Taylor scoffed, a small knowing grin curling his lips, as he cast a sideways glance to the pilot.

"I was absolutely thinking of getting a better view, a  _much_  better view, actually." Jake protested, grinning crookedly as he ran his eyes over Taylor, who tinged with pink and laughed quietly. "But now Cap's mentioned it... If we're gonna do this thing right, we gotta get a lay of the battlefield." He admitted, sighing in defeat.

"I... can take you back." Malatesta offered, clearing his throat roughly, as he pointedly avoided looking at Yvonne. "Could use the change of scenery about now."

"So, you coming Taylor?" Sean asked, raising a brow curiously as Taylor considered for a moment.

"Sure," he said, slipping his bag from his shoulder and dumping it on the deck. "I'm always up for some climbing adventures." He said, winking as Jake snorted in amusement.

Taylor chuckled as he accompanied some of his friends into a rowboat, crossing the water and walking up to the cliffside. "Hey, Top Gun..." He murmured, smiling affectionately as he leaned in closer, only to push Jake aside. "Race you to the top!" He sniggered, scrambling up the path quickly.

"Hey, get back here ya dirty cheat!" Jake called, as Taylor laughed and raced to the top of the cliff, taking a moment at the top to close his eyes and savour the fond rush of joy. He turned as Jake scrambled up begin him, grinning broadly as he drew in a deep breath and sighed in victorious glee. "Ah, what a view." He said, snickering as Jake stormed over to him.

"Last one was better." The pilot rebuffed as he reached him, one hand capturing Taylors chin to draw him into a firm kiss. Taylors breath caught, his hands rising to the pilots jacket as his heart jerked harshly, startled by the sudden and forceful kiss. He hummed beneath Jake's demanding lips, arching closer as he reciprocated eagerly.

As he heard the others finally close approach the top of the path, Taylor reluctantly drew away, his lips tingling pleasantly from the pilots demanding pressure. "What brought that on?" He hummed dazedly, grinning goofily as he nuzzled Jake's throat.

"Never a bad time for kissin' Boy Scout's." The pilot said, as Taylor snorted and rolled his eyes. He looked up at Jake, humming as the pilot swept the backs of his fingers over his cheek, looking down at him with an oddly intent look.

"What..?" Taylor asked, drawing back as their friends cleared the ridge and glancing down at himself. "Why're you looking at me like that?" He demanded distrustfully, as Jake broke out in an amused grin.

 _"Nothin'."_  He said, glancing back at the others before tipping his head towards the ocean, his arm slipping around Taylors waist to hold him close. "Whole lot of sea out there fir Ol' Nessie to be hiding in..." He said, changing the subject entirely, as Taylor frowned up at him.

"Perhaps we should post a few lookouts up here." The Clockmaker suggested, gazing around the area thoughtfully.

"Yeah, some of us could use lights or something to signal when we see Cetus coming..!" Raj enthused, high fiving the Anachronist Vaanti warmly. "Sean, what do you think?"

When the athlete didn't reply, Taylor looked around to see what had distracted him, only to find the athlete missing from the clifftop. "... Sean?" He called, breaking away from Jake to look behind them. He finally spotted Sean halfway down the trail, clutching his leg.

"I'm almost there, just... hang on a sec!" He huffed, as Taylor and Michelle dashed back to help brace him on his way up. Taylor bit his lip, feeling guilty for having run off ahead.

"Sean, we can't send you into a fight like this." Michelle said, eyeing him worriedly as they set him to sit on the grass. Furball propped his paws up on Sean's knee, and stared up at him in obvious concern.

Sean sighed and pet Furball thoughtfully, as he found his words. "You need me..." He pressed, shaking his head and swallowing heavily. "I can't sit idly by at a time like this-" Taylor sighed and crouched beside the athlete, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We just can't afford any mistakes," Sean pressed urgently, sensing Taylors imminent intervention. "If I'm useless-"

"Sean, you're not useless.  _Nobody_  think's that. Now, shut up." Taylor said firmly, grinning at the athlete fondly. "I think we just found our first lookout is all." He snickered, as The Clockmaker stepped forward.

"Indeed, there is a way you might be quite helpful, in fact." She said, removing a series of brass earpieces from a compartment strapped to her torso. "Using these, a sentry group could speak to those on the vessel, and advise on what best to do."

"Given how giant Cetus is, we'd get a better idea of what he's doing..." Michelle said her eyes wide, as she examined the earpieces thoughtfully. "We could  _really_  help Taylor strategise." She said, turning to Sean imploringly.

"Calling plays from the sidelines, huh?" Sean huffed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Didn't think I'd be heading that way so soon." He said, shaking his head in amusement.

"Dude," Raj gasped in awe, a slow grin curling onto his lips. "These look  _rad!"_  He cried, as he examined one of the pieces for himself.

"Okay, lets do this." Taylor said, clapping his hands and shuffling his feet briefly. "You guys use the communicators, and let us know what Cetus is up to, keep us one step ahead if you can." He said, winking at them all.

"A wise choice." The Clockmaker said, beaming as she handed out the communicators to Raj, Sean and Michelle, before handing a final one to Taylor.

"I suppose it's as good a time as any, to see if I'll make a good coach." Sean said, chuckling dryly as he fitted the earpiece eagerly.

"That's the spirit." Taylor sniggered, bumping his fist to the athletes, when Sean offered it.

"I'll take the left side of the cliff." Raj said, puffing our his chest proudly. "Nothing he does will get past me!"

"I'll take the right side." Michelle said, daintily tucking her hair behind her ear as she fitted her own earpiece. "Together, we'll keep all visuals on lock." She assured, winking at Taylor.

"Sounds like a plan." Taylor said, grinning at their enthusiasm, exchanging a hug with each of them. "Be safe, guys!" He called, as the rest of them climbed back down the cliff, and headed back to the Dorado. They climbed back aboard, as the moon began to peek from the clouds, illuminating their friends ominously as they began to finalize their preparations for the battle.

"I'm gonna go ahead and say it," Jake said, catching Taylors wrist before he could disappear to offer his help. "If you get yaself hurt, or do anything even remotely stupid, I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Noted," Taylor huffed in amusement, winking at the pilot as he stepped closer. "But there's something else I'd much rather you do to my ass than kick it." He added, sniggering when Jake's serious expression softened slightly.

"Then don't do anythin' stupid or get hurt." The pilot snarked, squeezing Taylors hand and exchanging a final, heated look with him, before moving to help elsewhere.

Taylor hummed a light sigh, storing the affectionate exchange deep within his heart, before forcing himself to focus. He looked around to see Grace and several Anachronists put finishing touches on the Faraday netting, draped over one side of the ship. He looked back over at the cliff, as he fit his earpiece. "Sean, you copy?" He asked, grinning in childish glee.

"This is Eagle One." Sean's voice replied in his ear, as if he were standing right beside him. "Copy loud and clear. We have visual contact on your position." The athlete said, as Taylor sniggered, imagining Jake's irritation at their mocking military talk.

"Wait, we get codenames?!  _Sick!"_  Raj cheered gleefully, and Taylor could practically see the large boys ecstatic grin in his mind. "Mine's Taco Ninja!"

"Raj,  _nobody_  is going to call you Taco Ninja." Michelle said scathingly, and Taylor laughed as he lowered his hand, pleased the communicators had been proven to all be working at least.

"Cannons and harpoons are locked and loaded, Boy Scout." Said Jake, ambling back over with his hands in his pockets, pulling up to a halt beside Taylor and winking coyly.

"Our defences are sufficiently prepared." Aleister added, folding his arms over his chest as the group came together around them.

"Alright, everyone." Taylor said, looking around the group intently, as his heart kicked up a gear. "Any last words, before we get this show on the road?" He asked, a soft smile gracing his lips, as he basked in the presence of his friends.

Silence weighed hevaily for a moment, before a voice burst forth eagerly. "I actually  _liked_  the ending of Battlestar Galactica." Diego said in a rush, as Taylor burst out laughing. "The way-"

 _"Ayyyy, spoilers!"_  Craig growled, scowling over at Diego warningly. "I'm still on season three!" He sulked, as Diego grinned and rubbed his neck guiltily.

"I'd say we're ready to go, Taylor." Quinn said, giggling as Diego teased Craig, and narrowly avoided dodging the jock's jab in retaliation.

"Well then," Taylor said, looking to Jake beside him as the pilot laced their fingers together, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Raise anchors!" He cried, and moments later, the sails lowered; allowing the Dorado to push off into the wide strait surrounding Rosencraft Estate.

"Yoohoo, Monsieur Tarasque..." Yvonne called cheerily, squinting one eye as she gazed out to sea with a feral grin. "We have another snack for you!"

"I hope this works..." Quinn sighed, pressing into Taylors available side. Taylor wrapped his arm around her shoulders reassuringly, squeezing gently as he smiled at her encouragingly.

"When has a plan of mine  _ever_  failed?" He asked, ignoring Jake as the pilot began to cough and mutter under his breath. Quinn looked up at him with a pointedly raised brow, and he snickered quietly, pleased to have distracted her. "Just give it time. We don't even know where Cetus is right now." He said, squeezing her shoulder again comfortingly.

They waited, strolling about the deck, double checking their preparations as they sailed without a destination. Taylor felt a nervous anticipation building among them, an eagerness to have the battle begin. Still they waited, tempers peaking as nerves ran high, though Taylor felt his own sense of panic considerably dampened to what he had expected. He stared calmly around his friends, leaning against the railing as he saw Varyyn and Diego embrace, quickly looking away to leave them to their intimate moment.

He watched as Jake and Mike traded jokes and taunts about some mission they'd shared long ago, and Taylor felt his heart flutter, a weak snip of jealousy nipping at him; before the heavy blanket of resignation swept it away.  _Ah, so that's what it is_... He thought with an amused huff, rubbing his chest lightly as he turned to look out to sea.  _I'm being the melancholy, pathetic chick in that rom com no one ever wants to admit to seeing. The one who pitifully stops caring about anything, because they got dumped_... He thought, snorting as he shook his head. He took a deep breath and tried to rip away the bland emotionless lid on his emotions, but found his efforts rebuffed easily, only succeeding in frustrating himself.

"Taylor," Sean's voice burst to life in his ear suddenly, making him yelp and jerk away from the railing in surprise. "We've got fins and scales, peeking through the eaves portside! You got company!"

"He's on our portside!" Taylor repeated, the deck flaring to life suddenly as people moved to reposition themselves for the attack. "Everyone;  _brace!"_  He warned, as his friends fanned out across the ship, taking up defensive positions. Taylor looked up with a scowl, as dark clouds began to race across the sky.

"Taylor!" Sean yelled suddenly, making Taylor flinch with the sharpness of his voice in his ear. "You're not going to believe this..." The athlete said, trailing off suddenly as Taylor frowned.

"Not going to believe  _what,_  exactly?" He asked pointedly, exchanging a glance with Jake and Yvonne, before looking over their portside curiously.

"Oh  _god..._  Taylor..!" Michelle cried, her voice filled with fear and disbelief through the small communicator. "Cetus isn't alone!"

"What?!" Taylor cried, just as something slammed into the side of the Dorado, sending everyone sprawling. He grabbed at the railing, barely keeping himself upright, as he looked over the side in shock.

"Davy Jones himself..." Malatesta exclaimed, his eyes wide as he jerked his eyes around the ship nervously. "The beast's at the bow!" He yelled, seconds before Cetus's huge head crashed through the surface, sending the Dorado rocking away from him on the waves.

 **"Grraaauggghhh!"**  The sea serpent roared, a deafening cacophony of sound which had everyone covering their ears.

"You're time has come, Sea Guardian!" Varyyn promised, glaring at the beast hatefully, as Taylor scowled up at the serpents huge head himself. His expression turned shocked however, when the Dorado shifted again, the sea beginning to drop away as they were lifted upwards.

 _"Whoa!"_  He gasped, his emotions finally clamouring beneath the thick resignation in his heart, his shock overwhelming him. "What's happening?!" He called, seeking out his friends to make sure they were unharmed.

"G-g-g-g-guys..!" Craig stuttered, unusually incoherent in his shock, pointing to a point behind Taylor. "Look behind you!" He cried urgently.

Taylor hesitated as his heart thumped heavily, before he spun around quickly, just in time to witness two more serpentine heads rising from the sea. "Oh,  _holy_  fu-"

A green head with many fins hissed menacingly, its beady glowing eyes slowly roving over them all on the deck. At the same time, a scarlet head with a jaw filled to the brim with sharp, needle like teeth, opened its maw wide and screeched at them.

Taylor felt the tight lid on his emotions finally burst, the heavy blanket torn apart by his disbelief and fear. At full length, each head towered at least thirty feet above them. A vast shadow in the depths marked Cetus's body, the origin of all three. "Why did I agree to this again?" Malatesta groaned, his face falling as he looked around the three heads resignedly.

"Because it was  _your goddamn fault?!"_  Taylor choked, his heart hammering as he remained locked to the spot, frozen by his raging emotional upheaval.

"I think the Heart made Gyarados here go through a few evolutions! Jake called, his eyes wide in nervous disbelief, even as his sharp eyes examined each head critically.

"One fish... Two fish... Red fish-" Diego chanted miserably, only to be cut off as Cetus bellowed with rage.

 **"Graaaughhh!"**  The blue head growled fiercely, its maw sparking with electricity. It suddenly spread its jaw wide, lightning crackling and coalescing to attack.

"Get  _down!"_  Jake cried urgently, though Taylor couldn't find the power to make his body respond. He watched as lightning raced towards him, time slowing around him as he blinked. Just in time, Jake pulled him behind the Faraday net, the lightning diffusing along its metal woven strands. "What the bloody hell w-!"

Jake cut off abruptly, as Taylor surged forward and kissed him fiercely, his eyes scrunching closed to stop his tears, as his heart cracked and splintered. Jake jerked back, his eyes wide as he seemed to sense Taylors desperation and pain.  _"Whoa!_  What's wron-"

"Taylor!" Grace cried desperately, as he slipped from Jake's grasp and turned towards her. "What do we do  _now?_  We only planned on fighting  _one_  Cetus head!"

"I got a few flash bombs..." Zahra offered, scowling as she ducked low behind the Faraday net. "We could blind them, to give us some time." She suggested, glancing up at the three heads.

"Yeah, Taylor!" Craig cheered, grinning over at Zahra smittenly. "Let Z hit 'em with debuffs!" He enthused, grinning eagerly.

"Mayhaps I could trick the nearest head into thinkin' I'm feeding it our half of the Heart..." Malatesta mused, as Taylor took several deep breaths and tried to get a grip on himself, shoving hard to refit the lid on his emotions.

"That might get him still long enough to harpoon, Boy Scout!" Jake said, watching him with a frown, his concern palpable even over the danger around them.

"I... I..." Taylor stumbled, shaking his head as his panic tickled the back of his throat. He glanced over at Jake, who's clear eyes met his worriedly, but confidently. As the pilots hand slipped into his own and squeezed reassuringly, Taylor finally shuddered and pushed back the tide of his emotions; focusing onto the choice before them. "Okay... Snape, get blinding!" He yelled, scowling up at Cetus and throwing the beast a middle finger salute.

Zahra and Craig bumped fists gleefully, before she began rummaging in her jacket pockets eagerly. "I'm on it..." She said, smirking as she made her last preparations.

"Taylor, flares can be very damaging to your eyes." Michelle warned him via the communicator earpiece. "Once you hear it go off, you need to keep them closed for another good five seconds."

"Gotha, Atomic." He said distractedly, watching Zahra with wide eyes, apprehension and uncertainty swirling in his gut.

"Okay, I'm letting that slide, because Deborah Harry is a beautiful woman..." Michelle sniffed back at him, and Taylor almost giggled with hysteric amusement, at the pout he could hear in her voice. "But you can tell your pilot I am  _so_  kicking his ass when I get down there for passing on his damn habit to you!"

"Copy that," he huffed, turning to see Jake, Craig and Estela standing ready at the harpoon guns. He swallowed thickly, and hurried to join them, as Grace and Aleister grabbed the ropes for hoisting the Faraday net.

Zahra lit the fuse, and threw the flash bomb high into the air. "Cover!" She yelled, as Taylor heard a faint crack in the air above them, and quickly buried his face in the crook of his elbow. He silently counted away the seconds, grinning as he drew his arm free of his eyes. "..  _Five!"_  He yelled, letting the others know that it was clear to look. He raised his head and opened his eyes, to see the worst had passed. All three of Cetus's heads were blinking wildly, unable to focus.

"Sweet moves, Taylor!" Craig cheered, throwing his an air high five which Taylor reciprocated with a snigger.

"Alright, let's  _move!"_  He called, as Cetus's blue neck loomed closer, the beast struggling to regain his vision.

 **"Graugh?"**  He roared confusedly, while on the other side of the ship, the red and green heads were equally distracted; slapping into each other clumsily.

"Fire!" Yvonne roared, drawing her cutlass and pointing it towards Cetus's blue head.

Taylor winced, as four different harpoons with thick chains, shot from cannons; and embedded themselves deep in Cetus's neck.  **"Grraaauuggghhhh!"**  The beast roared, thrashing in pain as Taylor and his friends scrambled to the chains attached to the harpoons, heaving with all their strength combined. Taylor turned, glancing back to see the red and green heads snapping at the netting and ripping it to shreds.

"We have to hurry!" Quinn cried, looking back herself. "Without that netting-" she gasped, her eyes wide as she met Taylors gaze fearfully.

"We're fried chicken!" Jake growled, scowling at Cetus's blue head as he wrestled with the chain. "Alright everyone, heave!" He roared, as everyone followed his command and strained together, forcing the blue head to fall onto the deck.

 **"Grraaaugh!"**  Cetus roared, thrashing ti free himself, though his efforts were in vain, as Taylor and his friends held tight to the chains.  **"Grauuugh!"**

"Mal, where's the cannon fire?!" Quinn choked, glancing back at the pirate captain incredulously. "We can't hold him forever!"

"I need the beast to look up!" Malatesta roared, scowling at the writhing blue head in frustration. "We won't pierce the skull from here!" Yvonne glanced furtively at Malatesta, hesitating momentarily, before dashing forward and climbing atop Cetus's head. "Yvie! Are you  _mad?!_  Get  _down!"_  Malatesta roared, though his pleas were drowned out by Cetus.

 **"Grrauuuughhh!"**  The sea serpent growled furiously,rearing upwards and snapping at Yvonne with teeth the size of swords.

"Mal...  _Nngh!"_  Yvonne called, scowling down at the blond pirate as she struggled to maintain her balance. "Are you blind?! Take the shot!" She ordered fiercely.

"But," Malatesta balked, his eyes widening as he shook his head in disbelief. "I'll hit you too!" He protested, just as the red and green heads finished with their destruction of the netting and towered above them.

"Time is of the essence!" The Clockmaker cried urgently, tugging harder at the chain to try and keep Cetus's blue head still.

"Yvonne!" Taylor called, scowling up at her in irritation.  _"Move!_  He ordered sharply.

"But-" Yvonne protested, her eyes wide in surprise as she stared down at his furious expression.

"You moved his head!" Taylor spat, pulling at the chain, as Cetus attempted to whip his head to the side. "Now get the hell out of the way, before you get hurt!"

"She made her choice, Taylor." Estela growled, glaring at him as she struggled to keep hold of her own chain. "We don't have time to second guess."

"Yeah, well I say no suicides on this mission!" Taylor groused back, jabbing his tongue in her direction briefly. "Well, unless Cetus wants to grab a bib and eat himself..." He added thoughtfully.

"She could get herself killed, Estela..." Diego called, shaking his head at the pirate sadly. "Friends don't let friends sacrifice themselves!" He added, as Taylor pretended not to notice several of his friends glance towards him nervously.

 _"Avoiding_  death is optimal in this situation." Aleister said scathingly, scowling as he and Grace joined the tug of war game with Cetus's blue head.

"Yvie,  _please!"_  Malatesta pleaded brokenly, gazing at her longingly, as Yvonne stared back at him. Finally, she silently slid from the beasts head, and Malatesta instantly lit the fuse. "Brace yourselves!" He warned, as the cannon fired with a great boom. The cannonball ripped through the bottom of Cetus's skull, flying out into the sea.

 **"Rrrarghhhhhh..."**  Cetus choked, as the red and greed head thrashed violently, reeling from the pain of the blue heads loss.

"Ha!" Taylor cried, tossing down his chain and scowling at Cetus hatefully. "I told you we were gonna have a disagreement!" He called, snorting to himself in satisfaction, as Malatesta strode forward and glowered at Yvonne.

"Even for  _you,_  Yvie, that is the daftest-" he began furiously, only for Cetus's maw to twitch, twisting around Malatesta's ankle. As the head slid off the deck, it pulled the pirate captain with it.

"Mal,  _non!"_  Yvonne cried desperately, chasing after him and trying to pry his foot loose. When her efforts to free him failed however, he reached out with his hand.

"Give me the cutlass!" He cried, his eyes wide in his desperation.

"Mal, of  _all_  times..." Yvonne grit out scathingly, scowling as she continued to attempt to free his foot.

"Trust me, Yvie!" Malatesta growled urgently, reaching out with his hand once more. Yvonne's eyes softened, brimming with fear, before she handed the cutlass over. Mal quickly twisted, hacking at the teeth furiously. His attacks freed his foot, but the cutlass became lodged into Cetus's teeth, and descended overboard with the rest of his blue head.

As the storm raged even harder, the two pirates tumbled onto the deck, almost followed by Taylor, until he was steadied by Mike's firm grasp at his elbow.

"Le monstre bleu..." Yvonne panted, fatigue marring her gaze. "He is gone?" She asked, her fingers curling into Malatesta's coat lapels.

"Yes, Yvie. You did well." Malatesta assured, frowning down at her in concern, as his fingers brushed her hair from her face. "Rest now." He said, and Yvonne nodded tiredly, her eyes closing as she list consciousness. Malatesta's arms shifted, moving around her protectively.

Cetus's two remaining heads began to sway menacingly, lightning crackling amid their teeth, as the rain began to fall in blankets.  _ **"Hisssskkkk!"**_  Roared the green, as the red released in a high pitched warble.  _"Reeeeeee!"_

"We can't defend from electrical attacks anymore!" Grace cried, gesturing towards the mangled nets.

"We gotta get the targets away from this boat," Kele called, his eyes wide as he stared at Cetus's remaining heads. "Before we're pulled under!"

"Allow me to assist." The Clockmaker said, as Taylor turned to watch her curiously. The Clockmakers fingers danced across the dials on her stopwatch, as

Taylor frowned and narrowed his eyes; time seeming to pause almost, before crawling forward, as a time rift tore open at the stern of the ship. His eyes widened, a gasp escaping him as he watched the strand flutter and curl, peeling themselves apart to reveal another time and place. As the Vaanti twisted various knobs, the rift moved, and a military helicopter emerged into the Dorado's quarter deck. "Holy...  _Nutballs..."_  He choked, blinking in fascination.

"Fancy." Zahra agreed, mistaking his awe as being for the helicopter, rather than the time rift itself.

"Will we even be able to fly in this weather?" Quinn asked, glancing at the sky nervously, while Taylor stared at the deck; his mind racing.

"Don't you worry about that, Ariel." Jake said confidently, a cocky grin plastered to his face as he clapped Mike on the shoulder. "Mike and I've taken off in worse."

"Heh, remember that time in Halkidiki?" Mike asked with a grin, as the two pilots bolted for the helicopter. Taylors heart stung, his breath catching momentarily, before he shook himself forcefully, forcing himself to focus.

He sucked in a deep breath and watched as Malatesta passed The Islands Heart to Zahra, who ran after the pilots, while Craig pulled the laser cannon from his bag and hurriedly began strapping the weapon to his shoulder. "Time for plan B..." The jock said, as he hopped aboard the helicopter, and turned to offer his hand to Taylor. "'Be'...  _Obliterated."_  He said, scowling at Cetus as he pulled Taylor into the helicopter behind him.

Taylor had barely taken a step, when a fierce scowl was sent his way, a furious finger colliding with his chest.  _"You._  Sit your ass down, strap the hell in, and  _stay."_  Jake demanded, narrowing his eyes when Taylors brows rose in surprise. "I ain't goin' through that again, I'll make you sit on my damn lap if I have to." He warned, flipping switches and twisting dials, glancing back to see if Taylor had done as he'd demanded.

Taylors heart twitched, an unexpected warmth touching him, as he stepped up behind Jake's seat and leaned to press his head against the pilots shoulder. "Don't worry." He murmured, hiding his tearful eyes until he regained control. "I'm not going anywhere." He assured, discreetly wiping his eyes over Jake's jacket, before drawing back with a grin. He turned away, catching Mike glancing at him furtively, before quickly moving to strap himself into a seat.

"Buckle up, everyone." Jake warned the rest, though his frown remained locked on Taylor, as he stared at the floor. "This is gonna be a  _rough_  ride." He said, growling as he glanced at Mike, the pair working together to get the helicopter moving.

Taylor peered out the open side door, as the pilots ascended them carefully between the Dorados masts, watching as both the heads disappeared under the water. "Oh, that can't be good..." He groaned, leaning out slightly to peer lower beneath the helicopter. "What're they doing?"

"Boy Scout!" Jake yelled, glancing back furiously. "Get your ass back in the damn chopper,  _now!"_

Taylor rolled his eyes and pulled himself back into his seat, about to point out his ass had never left it; when he noticed Mike's bionic eye widening, as he stared at a radar on the dashboard. "Jink nine." He said quietly, as Taylor frowned.

Jake gasped, glancing over at Mike furtively.  _"What?!"_  He demanded, clearly not understanding the code phrase any better than Taylor, and disliking it even more.

"It's a sneak attack!" Mike cried, as the pair fell into action, applying evasive maneuvers quickly. " _Jink nine_!"

Taylor tentatively leaned out the side of the helicopter again, his eyes widening as he saw Cetus's green head launch itself up towards the waters surface. "Oh, shhhi-"

 _ **"Hisssskkkk!"**_  Cetus hissed, as a spire of green scales burst from the water. Fangs the size of a man, crashed together mere feet below them. Jake pulled the helicopter sharply to the left, but as he did, Cetus's scarlet maw emerged, spitting orbs of lightning.

 _"Screeeeee!"_  The scarlet head screeched, its maw of razor sharp, needle like teeth glittering with electrical charge.

Mike and Jake moved in unison, allowing the aircraft to narrowly dodge the two beasts. "Man, I have  _missed_  this!" Jake said, grinning over at Mike, who frowned and rolled his eyes, tipping his head back to where Taylor had pointedly locked his gaze on Cetus's green head. "Aw,  _hell..."_  Jake groaned, turning to look forward again as he frowned thoughtfully.

"What  _now?!"_  Zahra cried, snapping Taylor from his lost thoughts. He looked over to see her staring at the two heads in wide eyed horror, the beasts working in tandem to try and knock the helicopter from the sky.

"See that ball lighting?" Jake called, gesturing towards the scarlet head. "I say we fire grenades while its still in his mouth, and make his own attacks hurt!"

"On that same line of thinking..." The Clockmaker interjected, peering at the heads in intrigue. "We may be able to trick the heads into hurting each other."

"Are you forgetting, my  _totally awesome and powerful laser cannon?_!" Craig exclaimed, beaming a huge, excited grin around them all. "I can bring at  _least_  one of those uglies down!" He bragged confidently.

"Okay, yep." Jake snorted, winking back at Craig briefly. "I'm with Big Guy. That ways easier than grenades." He said, grinning over at Taylor, who smiled back fondly but tiredly.

"Alright, Craig." He said, his smile growing as he took in Craig's childlike eagerness. "Time to give Cetus, a little laser surgery; on the house." He said with a fond snigger.

Craig whooped and punched the air excitedly.  _"Chyeeaaaaaah!"_  He cried, shifting to sit next to the open panel and gripping the cannon tightly.

"Alright, Rambo " Jake called, scowling as he and Mike shared a knowing look and nod. "We're gonna bring you as close as we can." He said, guiding the helicopter dangerously close to the green head.

Taylor sucked in a deep breath, staring at Jake as he concentrated on flying the helicopter, his expression intent and his eyes sharp, as he seemingly observed everything at once. Exhaling shakily, he looked over at Mike, who was checking their monitors and carefully balancing Jake's maneuvers, keeping them steady.  _Like two sides of the same coin_... He thought, his heart withering slightly, until he suddenly shook himself from his melancholy.  _Focus, focus_... He thought, forcing his mind back to the present, as the green head hissed at them angrily.

 _"Cetus!"_  Craig yelled, scowling down at the sea serpent, as the green head looked up at him.  _"Shut up!"_  He cried, powering up the laser cannon. And aiming it down into the creatures snapping mouth. A short but powerful blast caused a small burn mark on Cetus's neck, but the beast remained otherwise unfazed.

 _ **"Hrrrrgghk..."**_  It seemed to chuckle tauntingly as Taylor scowled down at the beast, his irritation rising at its cocky attitude.

 _"Seriously?"_  Craig cried, his eyes widening in disbelief a the practically unharmed sea serpent. "How is he  _not_  dead?! Its a cannon!"

"Taylor, I remember something from my laser therapy training..!" Michelle's voice rang our suddenly in Taylors ear, making him yelp and jump in surprise. "I think it'll work better, if you charge it up, instead of doing a bunch of weak blasts."

"Roger that, Atomic! Thanks for the tip!" He said back, grinning as he turned towards Craig. "Hey, Craig! Michelle says to charge it up. Let's turn it up to eleven, bro!" He said, his expression morphing back to a scowl, as he glared down at Cetus. "Focus all of the cannons energy, into a single blast!"

"But... My cannon..." Craig pouted, stroking the sleek weapon fondly. "Won't that fry it?" He asked, turning back to Taylor with wide eyes as a sudden realisation dawned on him. "Dude, what if it explodes?!"

"Boy Scout's right, Big Guy." Jake called, winking over at Taylor briefly. "We gotta go with our gut here!" He said, grimacing as he fought to keep the helicopter steady.

Craig sighed and cranked a lever on the cannon, letting it build up its energy. The sleek, white barrel began to shake and glow red, as Craig eyed it nervously. "Can we fire it, yet?!" He cried, as Taylor unclipped his straps and moved closer to the jock, checking the cannons power gauge.

"Just... about... there..." He said slowly, readjusting Craig's aim slightly.  _"Now!"_  He cried, as a red light flicked on. Craig fired the cannon, a deafening blast crackling through the helicopter, as a massive red beam utterly engulfed the green head.

 _ **"Rhhhaaauuuughhh!"**_  The beast roared in pain, its beady eyes dimming as his cries finally began to fade. The emerald spire descended into the sea with a sickening splash, as strangely coloured blood began to stain the murky waters.

Sparks and smoke began to plume from the cannon, an electrical shock stinging Craig, who yelped and lost his grip; sending the damaged cannon splashing into the sea. "Goodbye, buddy... You did good." Craig said sadly, mourning his loss as everyone else recoiled from the carnage, left in the wake of the green heads death. "Wow." Craig groaned, as Taylor wobbled precariously behind him. "I'm glad I didn't eat before this."

"Two down," Jake said, a cocky grin on his lips as he turned to glance back at Taylor. "One to-" he began, only to cur off sharply as he realised Taylor was neither sat down or strapped in. "What the bloody hell-"

"Look out!" The Clockmaker cried, Jake's attention snapping forward again just in time to catch sight of Cetus's red maw rising towards them. It reached out to bite the helicopter, only to be sliced across the jaw by the rotor.

 _"Eescreeeeee!"_  The beast roared, drawing back sharply. Taylor glanced up as the helicopter tottered in the air, noticing smoke coming from the rotor above.

"Turn the course..." Jake said sharply, as he grappled with vis controls. "Back to the cliffs!" Mike nodded, already fluidly in motion himself. "Hope we... can make..."

"Are you  _serious?"_  Zahra cried, her eyes wide, as she stared at Jake in disbelief. "We gave you another chance-"

"Shut up and hang on, Skrillex!" Jake ordered roughly, as Taylor gasped and clutched at the back of a seat, his eyes wide as he stared at the slowly spiralling scene below them, through the open panel. Everyone braced themselves, as they careened towards the cliffs outside Rosencraft Estate.

 _"Oof!"_  Taylor huffed, as they came down hard on the rocky soil, scrabbling to keep hold of his anchor, as the helicopter bucked and slowly dragged to a stop. The Heart slipped from Zahra's grasp, and Taylor saw it roll through the open panel towards the cliffs.  _"No!"_  He cried, jumping from the still moving aircraft without thinking.

 _"Taylor!"_  He heard Jake roar from within, as he rolled across the rocky ground and flailed for the crystal. His fingers closed around the orb, just as he stumbled to the cliff edge, and he gasped at the sudden rush of pain which consumed his chest. He choked, falling to his knees as he tried to take a breath, blinking as pain radiated from within his aching heart.

 _"Nngh-"_  he groaned, the empty sky rising towards him, as he toppled forward off the cliff edge.  _"Nnn!"_  He groaned, his fingers clutching the edge of the cliff, halting his fall with a jarring jerk, twisting his body through the air quickly.

Taylor choked, forcing his hand to remain locked around the Heart, refusing to let it go after everything they'd been through to retrieve it. "Taylor!" He closed his eyes tiredly, his entire chest burning with pain. He heard footsteps, and the urgent cry of his name, as his grip on the cliff weakened. "Taylor,  _hold on_!" He forced his eyes ro peel open, slowly turning his face upwards as Jake's frantic face appeared over the edge of the cliff, his hands locking around Taylors wrist.

"Mmm..!" Taylor hummed tiredly, the intensified pins and needle like pain spreading from his chest to consume him. "Jake..." He murmured, grimacing as he tried to keep hold of the Heart. "I can't... hold it..." He gasped, crying out as he tried to raise his other arm, pain lancing through him at every movement.

"Don't worry about that, just hold on Taylor! We're gonna get you up, just... just hold on for me, 'kay?!" Jake pleaded, glancing over his shoulder desperately. "Mike! Get your ass over here, ya goddamn bastard!"

"Jake..." Taylor cried, reaching his free hand up towards the pilot urgently. "Take... the Heart-" he choked, breaking off to gasp heavily as a deeper pain began to thrum in his heart, stealing his strength as his eyes closed of their own volition.

"Shut up, Taylor!" Jake roared, his hold on Taylors wrist tightening as he looked down to see his obvious struggle. "Just shut the hell up, and hold on! Just another second!" He growled, scowling as Taylor yelled in pain.

"Jake..!" He called, forcing this eyes open to look up at the pilot longingly, his heart faltering beneath the fierce pain. "I-" He cried out in surprise and pain, as arms settled around his waist, drawing him closer to the top of the cliff, and his pilot.

"Easy, little Lemming." Mike drawled, carefully maneuvering his jetpack to raise them over the cliff edge, setting Taylor down gently beside Jake; who immediately scrabbled at his tightly clenched hand, and pried The Islands Heart out from his grasp.

Taylor gasped, sucking in a deep breath and convulsing lightly, his body spasming from the lingering pain radiating from his chest.  _"Hhng-aah..!"_  He choked, as Jake's arms wrapped around him and drew him out of Mike's arms, and into his own.

"Boy Scout..?" He called worriedly, his hands running over Taylor carefully, gently massaging in The hopes of alleviating the pain. "I got ya, Boy Scout... I got you." He huffed, rocking Taylor lightly in his lap. "Please, Taylor, it ain't safe here... I know ya tired, and I promise I'll take ya somewhere real nice to relax after this... But I need ya to keep goin' a little longer." The pilot said in a rush, as Taylor winced, looking up tiredly at the feel of warm splashes on his cheek.

"Jake..." He slurred thickly, his tongue refusing to work properly. "Sorry, couldn't... lose the Heart, after everything we... went throu-"

"I'd sooner lose the stupid rock than  _you,_  Taylor! Ya bloody idiot!" Jake snarled, as Taylors heart pulsed with warmth suddenly, soothing the stinging pain which remained, enough that he could shove it back beneath the tightly lidded emotions. "Godammit, Taylor... How many times am I gonna have to tell you, before you understand..?" The pilot whispered roughly, as Taylor slowly reached up and brushed his fingers along the pilots jaw, slipping into his hair and encouraging him to lean down with a gentle tug.

"I understand." He murmured quietly, as his lips skimmed Jake's in a light caress. "Help me up?" He asked, his eyes softening as Jake stared down at him a moment longer, before exhaling deeply and moving to do as he'd asked. Taylor winced as Jake's arms curled around him and pulled gently, helping him to his feet. Mike moved in to brace Taylors other side, the two pilots sharing his weight between them, as they backed away from the cliffs.

"Taylor!" Sean cried, as he, Raj and Michelle hurried across from the other side of the cliffs, helping the others out of the helicopter. Michelle raced straight over to Taylor, who swatted her hands away with a tired huff of frustration.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He assured, his chest aching but no longer producing fresh waves of pain. "Jake and Mike will keep me outta harms way, go; help the others." He said, gesturing towards the helicopter.

"Taylor shut up," Michelle said distractedly, scowling as she checked him over regardless. "You have an entirely different concept of 'fine' to just about everybody else." She snarked, as Jake snorted and scowled at him.

Taylor sighed and rolled his eyes, glancing at Mike to see the pilot frowning himself, before quickly looking away. Over the cliffside, he saw the rest of their friends from the Dorado hurrying up the path towards them. "Everyone! I found Taylor!" Estela called back, as he huffed and frowned over at her, raising a brow pointedly.

"You're okay!" Diego cried, rushing over the ridge and darting over the cliffside, pausong when he saw Jake and Michelle's dark expressions.

"Define you're definition of okay. By Taylors standards of personal safety, he's okay. Everyone else's?" Michelle said, glancing over at them all. " _Not so much_." She groused, as Taylor winced at her checking his ribs over. "I think you're gonna need some serious bed rest after this, but you shouldn't keel over anytime soon..." She reluctantly muttered, scowling at his hopeful expression. "And none of  _that_  what so ever!" She demanded, pointing between him and Jake firmly, as Taylor huffed and turned away with a pout.

"I for one, expected nothing less." Aleister drawled, shaking his head as he approached with Grace, a fond if exasperated smile on his face.

"Is he hurt?" Sean asked Michelle, limping over with the others and pointedly ignoring Taylors irritated sound of protest. "That was a rough landing."

"Please!" He scoffed, butting in before Michelle could answer, shaking the pilots off his sides in his frustration. "It was a darn sight better than my last landing! Now, for the last time; I'm fine!" He growled, scowling around them all petulantly. "Let's not get comfortable playing 'Taylors an idiot', okay? Cetus has still got-"

 _"Screeeeeee!"_  Cetus's scarlet head bellowed, crashing up from the waves to loom above them ominously.

"Yeah, see. My point exactly." Taylor snarked, as the beasts eyes glowed with blatant rage, his head peering and snapping towards them threateningly.

"You'd think losing his bros would at least slow him down..." Craig sighed tiredly, staring up at the scarlet beast dejectedly.

"How are we supposed to keep this up?" Zahra asked, glancing around them all as her expression fell. "At this rate, we won't be able to kill him."

"Perhaps, the spire?" Suggested the spiky haired Anachronist, turning to the other Vaanti curiously.

"Hm," The Clockmaker hummed thoughtfully. "That might do it." She conceded, taking out her stopwatch and began making the necessary calibrations. "This device is nearly spent..." She warned, glancing towards them briefly. "Taylor, are you familiar with Rourke's  **MASADA**  facility?"

"You mean the place we blew up?!" Zahra choked, her eyes wide as she stared at the Vaanti incredulously.

"If I set this correctly, and get a rift close enough to his head," The Clockmaker explained, her hands constantly in motion across her strange stopwatch. "We may be able to use velocity, and the buildings blade like shape, to impale him."

 _"Duuuuude!"_  Craig cried incredulously, a slow grin spreading across his face as he bumped fists eagerly with Zahra. "Are you serious?!"

"And, what's our backup plan?" Taylor asked distractedly, eyeing The Clockmakers stopwatch with interest, recalling the strange phenomena which he'd witnessed as the last rift had opened.

"I could reach put to the Heart, and pull it from him..." Quinn suggested, clasping her hands behind her back as she looked around them all.

"I dislike this backup plan..." Taylor groused, finally tearing his eyes from The Clockmaker's stopwatch in order to frown over at Quinn.

"Taylors right, that's awfully risky." Sean warned, his face falling in concern. "Quinn, you could get hurt if we made even a single wrong move..."

"This might be our only chance to kill Cetus for good, Boy Scout..." Jake said with a sigh, turning to Taylor reluctantly, brushing their fingers together. "We don't exactly have the tools to do it otherwise..."

"I love your enthusiasm." Taylor sniggered, grinning as he looked over at the pilot fondly. "Can really feel how excited you are, Top Gun."

"Hey, you just jumped out a helicopter mid crash land," Jake groused, his expression souring. "And, nearly fell off the damn cliff... Cut me a little slack here, Boy Scout." He sighed, as Taylor bit his lip guiltily and nudged him softly.

"Okay then, this fish has been buggin' me for awhile now." He said abruptly, turning towards the Vaanti with a determined expression. "Clockmaker, bring me his head on a spire." He snickered, before clicking his fingers and turning to seek out Varyyn with a wide grin. "Varyyn, you said you wanted to mount his head over your throne, right?"

"I  _did."_  The Elyyshar growled, scowling at Cetus's remaining head hatefully.

"Why don't we help you with that, totally gruesome and grim life goal?" Taylor snickered, as Diego huffed and slipped his hand into Varyyn's. "Clockmaker, hand me that timepiece..." He said slyly, holding out his hand hopefully.

The Clockmaker hesitated, turning to look over at Taylor with a curious tilt of her head. "... Of course." She said slowly, placing the device in his hand. While Estela and Varyyn began lobbing stones at Cetus to draw his attention, Taylor ran his hand over the device gently, biting his lip as he narrowed his eyes. He took a deep breath, looking up at Cetus determinedly as he tried to recall the way he'd seen the rift open to reveal the helicopter.

He focused his mind, concentrating as he gave The Clockmakers stopwatch a tentative twist, watching a shimmering tear open up just beyond the cliffs edge. He paused, reaching to the rift with his mind and attempting to peel the rift open himself.

"Taylor!" Estela cried, her eyes wide as she and Varyyn began to run out of things to throw. "Today would be good!"

"Working on it!" Taylor yelled back, excitement budding in his heart as he glimpsed  **MASADA's**  silver spire getting rapidly closer. His heart racing as Cetus peered at the rift, drawing closer to it. With a gasp, Taylor shoved at the rift, ripping it open as the tower burst through.

 _"Rhaaiiiihhhhhgh!"_  Cetus screeched, as several stories of MASADA violently tore through the massive anglerfish-like head.

 _I **can**  do it... I can help! I... I did it_..! Taylor thought as he sagged in awe and relief, his legs quivering beneath him, as Cetus twitched and struggled; but eventually succumbed, teetering heavily toward the cliff.

"Look out!" Raj exclaimed, leading everyone to scramble backwards from the huge head, except for Quinn; who raised a hand towards the falling sea serpent.

"Quinn, no!" Taylor cried, as he realised what she intended to do. He moved towards her, only for Jake to grab his arm and hold him back, gesturing towards where Estela was racing toward the redhead, as something began to glow in Cetus's neck.  _"Quinn!"_  Taylor cried, as a burst of light flooded the area, before being cut off abruptly by a body covering him protectively.

When the haze cleared, Jake drew back from Taylor slowly, who huffed as his strength faded, sapped by his over strenuous activities. He panted, looking up at Jake, as the pilot gazed down at him in concern. "Still with me, Boy Scout?" He asked, frowning as Taylor shivered and sagged in his arms.

"Hmm," he hummed, leaning his head against the pilots shoulder as Jake sighed and held him close, burying his face in Taylors hair in relief. "Always, Top Gun..." He said, his eyes closing as exhaustion swept through him. "Tired. Is it bedtime?" He mumbled, as he brushed a light kiss over the pilots throat, who's pulse raced beneath his lips.

"Heh, soon, Boy Scout." Jake assured, his arm tightening around his shoulders as Taylor felt him grin widely.  _"Definitely_  soon." Taylor hummed tirey, and reluctantly drew back to look around, his eyes widening when he found no sign of Cetus or  **MASADA.**

"That was incredibly risky, Tay-" The Clockmaker began to warn him quietly, silencing as Taylor glanced at her sharply. "You should not-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; Taylor bad, I get it..." Taylor said quickly, glancing to where Jake and Mike were trading playful jabs and jibes. "Can we do the whole scolding thing later please?" He asked, rubbing at his brow as a faint headache began to pulse behind his eyes. The Clockmaker paused, before she tipped her head in acquiescence, as Taylor turned to look around his friends. He edged away from Estela slightly, noticing she was holding the second half of the Heart, while Quinn gasped for breath beside her.

"Did you guys see that?!" Diego cheered, hopping gleefully beside Varyyn. " _Did you see that?_!" He cried, beaming up at the Elyyshar.

 _"I_  saw that." Varyyn agreed with a huge grin, leaning down to sweep Diego into a passionate kiss. Taylor coughed and looked away, grinning at his friends blissful sigh.

"Is..." Grace gasped, gazing around in wide eyed disbelief. "Is it over?" She asked, meeting Taylors eyes briefly and giggling gleefully.

"It is!" Quinn gasped, her eyes wide as she looked around in joy and relief. "It finally is!"

"Gotta say, Taylor..." Craig said, startling him as the jock clapped him on the shoulder suddenly, grinning down at him broadly. "That, was the most  _badass_  thing I've seen over this entire trip." Taylor tensed, before he realised Craig meant Cetus's defeat in general, and he relaxed into a warn grin himself.

"Something to tell our grandkids," Sean chuckled, his arm draped around Michelle's shoulder loosely. "That's for sure."

"We did it!" Raj cheered, drawing Zahra into a hug, regardless of her scowl. "We survived the fight of our lives!"

"Is everyone alright?" Grace asked, beaming around them all as Aleister curled his arm around her shoulders. "I can't believe we pulled this off!"

Diego and Varyyn leapt up, high fiving in mid air as Diego laughed gleefully. "Where's an eighties freeze frame when you need one?!" He cried, as Furball flipped over backwards, before he jumped up to lick Diego's face.

Malatesta laid Yvonne on the ground gently, kneeling over her as the pirate slowly opened her eyes. "... Mal?" She called softly, get eyes finding his.

"I'm here, Yvie." Malatesta assured, taking up her hand in his own and pressing it to his cheek. "I'm sorry. About everything." He said, his face falling as he gazed down at her.

Taylor felt distinctly uncomfortable, averting his gaze for a moment, before finding himself watching the pair again. "Non, mon cher." Yvonne sighed dejectedly, her fingers trailing delicately over his beard. "I was wrong, to take it. I was so mad with you, that I just-"

"Did exactly, what I would have done." Malatesta said quietly, shaking his head as his lips twitched with fond amusement. "You can't blame yourself, Yvie. I was-"

"Mal, I-" Yvonne began, as he leaned down, the pair only a breath apart from one another, when they seemed to notice their riveted audience. They each cleared their throats, looking away from each other.

"Self centered codfish." Yvonne said fondly, gently tugging at his coat lapels, as she beamed up at him affectionately.

"Scurvy mutt." Malatesta huffed, grinning down at her as he drew back.

Of it's own accord, the second half of the Heart suddenly tore itself free of Estela's grasp, and flew straight towards Quinn.  _"What?!"_  Estela gasped, as Taylor snapped his head towards the redhead.

As the Heart arrived on her hand, Quinn's face contorted in pain. "N-no!" She gasped fearfully, as Taylor clutched at his chest, his heart clenching painfully.

"What the-" Jake grunted, as despite his tightening grip, an invisible force pulled the first half of the Heart away. It streaked towards Quinn, joining its twin and becoming a perfect sphere.

"Q-Quinn!" Taylor choked, reaching for her, only for Jake to hold him back, the pilots eyes darkening with fear. "Jake, get me to-  _aghh!"_

 _"Aaaagghhhh!"_  Quinn cried, her voice distorted by the strange presence which had once controlled her. Taylor grimaced, as waves of power radiated from Quinn and the rejoined Heart, the redheads knees buckling suddenly.

The earth beneath her caved suddenly, becoming a crater.  _"Whoa!"_  Raj cried, scooping Zahra up and drawing her away from the cracking earth.

"Quinn, can you hear my voice?!" Michelle called, straining against Sean's concerned hold on her arm. "You've got to  _fight_  it!" She cried, tears escaping her eyes, as she turned to bury herself in Sean's embrace.

Taylor gasped, grimacing as his chest spasmed with pain, and tried to move towards the crumbling edge of the crater. "Taylor, I  _know_  you ain't thinkin-" Jake began knowingly, scowling as he gripped his arms tightly.

 _"Jake,"_  Taylor said pleadingly, looking up to meet his eyes urgently. "Help me...  _Please."_  He begged, as Jake huffed and grimaced, before reluctantly helping Taylor climb down to Quinn.

"You better come back in one piece, Boy Scout..." The pilot warned, ducking his head to kiss Taylor briefly, before drawing back to a safe distance and watching him with a tormented gaze. The cliff continued to cave, as Taylor clawed his way over to Quinn, his friends struggling to keep their balance above them.

" _Oh god, oh god, oh god_ -" Grace chanted, staring around in wide eyed disbelief and terror.

"Grace, take my hand!" Aleister cried urgently, pulling the dark skinned girl into his arms and drawing her protectively from the edge.

Green light flickered into Quinn's eyes, before quickly disappearing again, as Taylor gasped and dragged himself closer. "Stay back! All of you stay back! I won't let myself be..." Quinn pleaded, gasping along with Taylor as they both cried out in pain.  _"Aagghhh!"_  She wailed, as Taylor scowled and moved ever closer to the redhead, as she began to weep fearfully. "I can't take this anymore! It just... It won't stop!" She cried desolately, shaking her head as green light began to flicker in her eyes again. "It'll never stop! It's gonna hurt you-" she cried brokenly.

Taylor choked as streams of light erupted from the Heart, curling his hand into a fist as his chest heaved, lowering his head to the cracked ground as he panted for breath.

Quinn half turned towards him, but her gaze was drawn forward again, as Vaanu floated into the air in front of her. She stared at the being for a long moment, before shaking her head sadly. "Please... Just let me go!" She pleaded, staring up at Vaanu desperately. "Don't  _do_  this to me! I can't..."

Vaanu's hands began to glimmer, stretching towards her to reveal a small purple camera, smoking in his grasp.

Taylor growled, raising his head as he pushed forward to cross the final gap between them. "I'm here..." He muttered, wrapping his arms tight around Quinn's shoulders and pulling her back against his chest. "Its okay!" He promised, whispering in her ear as she trembled in his arms. "It's gonna be okay!" He promised, as he rest his head tiredly against the back of her shoulder, his heart crashing painfully in his constricting chest.

"Taylor, that's my camera!" Quinn gasped, distracted from the Hearts bizarre behaviour. "The one I used to take family pictures with, before..." She choked, her expression falling as her eyes welled with tears. "Before..." She mumbled, turning to look at him over her shoulder, as he raised his head and smiled wearily. "Taylor, what... W-what do I do?"

Taylor took a deep breath, and plucked The Islands Heart out of Quinn's hand, ignoring Jake's fearful yell from behind him. He choked and shrank beneath the wave of agony which consumed him, setting it carefully on the ground beside them both, as he pressed the camera into Quinn's hands instead. Immediately, the world was obscured by white light, which cleared to reveal a school gym; packed to the walls with science experiments and an enraptured audience.

On a makeshift stage, a tall redheaded man offered a friendly smile to the crowd. "Thankyou again to our sponsors, but more importantly; to all of our participants!" He called to them all, his gracious grin clearly infectious as people gazed back with happy smiles. "Your inventions and experiments have made this years Fighting Chance competition, our most successful ever!" He cried, raising enthusiastic cheering from the excited crowd. After a few moments to allow people their gleeful cheers, he raised his hands to quiet the crowd. "Before we announce the awards, I'd like to give a warn welcome to the most inspiring person I know... My daughter, Quinn." He said, bowing with a flourish and a grin, as Quinn hopped up on stage. She rolled her eyes and gave her father a warm hug, before turning to beam at the crowd.

"Welcome everyone! I'm so glad to see you all at our fifth annual competition!" Quinn cried jubilantly, gazing out at the sea of faces in awe. "I can personally vouch, for the impact your work is going to have, on the chronic illness community." She said, scanning the crowd thoughtfully, as her expression turned somber. "Ten years after my diagnosis of Rotterdam's... I contemplated suicide. Between the zoo if doctors, the constantly changing medications, and the strain in my family... I asked myself, 'Was I really important enough, for dozens of people to spend most of their lives trying to keep me going'?" She explained, swallowing heavily before she brightened into anofrgr warm smile.

"I told my father what I was feeling..." She said, pausing to offer her father a small, soft smile. "... And he held my hand and said, 'Honey,  _every_  life is worth fighting for. Just because one person needs more help to live, doesn't make their life less worthy or meaningful... It doesn't mean they have less potential to change the world, or that their life doesn't also help others'." She said, pausing to look around the multitude of faces below her with a look of deep empathy. "That's why the Kelly Foundation exists. To fight for  _every_  life. You should all be proud of the work you've presented today. To anyone here, who takes fifty pills a day, just to function... To anyone who loses sixteen vials of blood to testing, and then goes back to work... To anyone who fights against their body, on a daily basis... You are;  _phenomenal."_  She said, her eyes watering as she stared around the awe struck faces staring up at her. "You are a warrior. You are stronger than you know, and you deserve every moment of time you have. And  _I_  won't stop fighting, until  _all_  of you, defy your doctors expectations!" She cried, as the crowd erupted into ecstatic applause.

Quinn bit her lip shyly, clasping her arms behind her back as she walked off stage with her father, leaving the crowd with hardly a dry eye between them. "It doesn't matter how many times u hear that speech..." Quinn's father said, shaking his head as he beamed proudly at his daughter. "It gets me, every time."

 _"Daaaaad..."_  Quinn giggled, squirming as he enveloped her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Do you have the numbers in from the fundraising yet?" She asked eagerly, ducking away from him at last.

"Yup. You're not gonna believe this..." Her father said, sighing as he shook his head and frowned at the floor in disbelief himself.

"That bad?" Quinn choked, her elation fading as her shoulders fell in dejection. "But, the event's gone so well!" She protested, pouting sadly.

"Bad?" Mr Kelly asked, wiggling his brows at her as he broke out in a huge grin. "It's  _amazing!_  It's only April, and we've already received more donations than akk of last year!"

 _"What?!"_  Quinn gasped, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes widened in surprise. "Are you serious?!" She demanded, as Quinn's father took a few donor cheques from his coat pocket, and held them up for her to see. "Ohmygod... With funds like this, we could get more staff, and find more scholarships, and-"

"A whole lot more." Her father laughed, interrupting her excited ramblings. "Be proud of yourself, Flipper... You've made something wonderful here." He added quietly, gazing at her affectionately.

Quinn opened her mouth to respond, when her fathers up. He glanced down, and smiled bqshfully. "That's mom, isn't it?" Quinn asked knowingly, excitement blazing in her eyes as she grinned at him.

"It could be." He answered evasively, his cheeks staining a similar shade as their matching red hair, as he ducked his eyes from her gaze.

"Okay, I know you're trying to keep it under wraps, but..." Quinn began, visibly trying to control her excitement, before it burst free of her anyway. "How are you two doing?" She gushed excitedly, biting her lip guiltily when her father sighed.

"Well, its complicated." He hedged, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "We've both done a lot to hurt each other over the years... But, the last few weeks have reminded us both, why we fell un love to begin with." He said, brightening as hope tinged his gaze. "I don't know how long this'll take, or if it'll last... But, I'm happy just to have it while I can." He said, smiling over at her fondly.

A reported walked up to Quinn, patiently waiting dir ab opportunity to speak with her. "I'll let you get back to things." Her father said, gesturing to the reporter, as he winked and grinned at her. "Besides, I don't want to be late for my date!"

"See you tonight!" Quinn said, beaming as she threw her arms around his neck joyfully. " _Love you_!" She whispered in his ear, as the world turned white around them.

Taylor blinked, finding himself back on the cliff with his arms tight around Quinn. His heart was consumed by hope and love, the ache from The Islands Heart and whatever strange effect it had held over them lingering, but no longer causing him further pain. Quinn turned slowly, staring up at him with wide eyes. "Did... you see that?" She whispered, picking up the Heart, as she noticed it sat dangerously close to Taylor, and quickly stuffing it in her pocket.

Taylor smiled tiredly, his throat tight as he tried to hold back his joyful emotions. "You're gonna found a non-profit." He choked proudly, wiping a test from her cheek as she gasped. "You're gonna help people, fighting chronic illnesses."

"I'm gonna make it off the island..." She gasped, unknowingly causing Taylor to flinch, lost in her own future. "And my parents..." She choked, throwing herself into his arms suddenly, as she sobbed joyfully. "I'll tough it out, then! I'll do whatever it takes!" She laughed determinedly, as Taylors face fell over her shoulder, his hands clutching at her jacket tightly as the ache in his heart returned for another lost person in his rapidly emptying future. "I'm not giving up  _now!"_  She giggled, holding him tighter, as Taylor took a deep breath and quickly rearranged his expression back into his joyful grin; forcing aside his sense of loss, and focusing on the warmth of Quinn's happy future, as he recalled her fathers own words from the vision; _I don't know how long this'll take, or if it'll last... But, I'm happy just to have it while I can_. He thought, looking up at the stars briefly, deciding to take the mans outlook for his own.

He turned, as they heard their friends breathe a collective sigh above and behind them. Taylor huffed and pushed unsteadily to his feet, wincing at the ache which seemed to radiate throughout him. Quinn quickly rose beside him, helping to steady him and allowing him to lean on her lightly, as they stumbled over to the edge of the crater. "Ladies first," Taylor said, snickering as Quinn stuck out her tongue at him, though she never the less allowed him to help her out first. He clambered up after her, groaning as he heaved himself over the edge and slowly got to his feet, only for Michelle and Grace to rush forward and wrap their arms around both himself and Quinn.

"Don't scare us like that again, okay?" Grace asked, frowning between them both worriedly. Taylor nodded, about to reply when a firm hand settled on his shoulder. He turned to see Jake run his eyes over him worriedly, and his heart yearned for the pilot.

Taylor silently fell into the pilots tight embrace, his hand curling into Jake's hair and holding him close. When he drew back, it was to close his eyes and press his head to the pilots, content in their closeness and the intimacy of the pilots hold alone. He pulled free of Jake's embrace moments later, as Quinn gasped in surprise, and he turned to find her staring at Vaanu; the spirit having remained. "That's strange... Normally it just, disappears by now." He said slowly, moving back to Quinn's side, as she wordlessly reached out to it and allowed its ephemeral hand to take her own.

"Quinn?" Grace asked nervously, her eyes wide as she glanced between the redhead and the spirit. "Are you alright?!"

Taylor stepped up behind Quinn, as she stared dazedly at the ghost, her head tilting back as if she were floating in water. "What's it doing to her?" Michelle demanded, as Taylor frowned, his eyes darting between the two thoughtfully. "If its hurting her-"

"It's not..." Taylor reassured her distractedly, his hand settling on Quinn's shoulder supportively. "I think it's... talking, to her?" He hedged, as Vaanu slowly melted away into scattering streams of light.

Quinn turned towards the mountains, scanning the landscape thoughtfully. "Quinn?" Estela asked, moving closer to the redhead nervously. "What happened?"

"Vaanu talked to me." Quinn replied distractedly, still searching the horizon as Taylor squeezed her shoulder, frowning in concern.

"It didn't hurt you, right?" He asked, finally grasping her attention, as she turned towards him and shook her head with a small smile.

"I don't think so, at least." She said, tilting her head consideringly, before raising her eyes ro him confidently. "I  _feel_  fine." She assured, reaching up to squeeze his hand gently. "It was like I was flying. I flew from here, to the center of the island... When I got to Mount Atropo, I came down from the sky... and I found a secret entrance to the volcano's core, inside the chasm we'd crossed before." She said, looking around the group with a soft grin. "I think, Vaanu wants us to return the Heart to where it came from."

Taylor flinched, his hand falling from her shoulder as he frowned and shook his head. "How do you know that's where it came from?" He asked, his eyes flitting around the group, who were focused on Quinn with hopeful gazes, eager to be underway. His heart clenched, and he looked down briefly, until an arm jostled him lightly. He glanced up to see Jake grinning at him crookedly, and he snorted briefly, before jostling him back.

"I'm not sure." Quinn admitted, clasping her hands behind her back as she pouted thoughtfully. "But... when I felt it, and felt the Heart... They felt the  _same,_  Taylor. I think, they're connected."

"If nothing else," Aleister interjected thoughtfully, before Taylor could voice his own thoughts or concerns. "The crystalline nature of the Heart suggests that a geological origin in the volcano is accurate." He said, nodding his head towards Quinn in acknowledgment.

"Urgh," Diego groaned, leaning into Varyyn's side dramatically. "Can we please take the ring to Mordor after a nap?" He asked, pouting when they all chuckled at him, but nobody agreed with him. "We just killed a  _literal_  Hydra!" He complained.

"Not the right, Hydra." Taylor said quickly, flushing crimson as his friends all turned towards him in surprise. "Sorry..." He muttered, clearing his throat awkwardly a she looked away.

"... No rest for the weary." Sean said a moment later, glossing over Taylors outburst, which Taylor nodded at him gratefully for.

"Diego, I promise you can have all the naps you want, once we've saved the world." Taylor said, smiling over at his friend wearily. "Deal?"

"Deal..." Diego said reluctantly, as he gazed back at Taylor with a petulant pout, which slowly devolved into a concerned frown. He stepped closer and offered Taylor his bag, as the others drifted away to gather their things together. "Dude, what-"

"Don't even go there, bud." Taylor said tiredly, swinging his bag over his shoulder and wrapping his arms around himself. "I'm fine."

"Do you actually believe that, the more you say it, or are you just  _that_  determined not to tell me?" Diego asked, scowling at Taylor as he sighed and turned to walk to the edge of the cliffs. "Taylor, please... What is it? What can we do?" Hid friend asked, as he trailed behind him.

Taylor swallowed heavily, thinking of all the things they'd been through together, the journey they'd undertaken, and how close to completion they were; how close to saving countless lives. "Nothing." Taylor said, his hands tightening their grip on his arms briefly. "Diego, there's nothing you can do for me..." He said, cutting Diego off, as he made to interrupt. "Because none of you will be here." He said softly, turning a small smile to his friend.

 _"What?!"_  Diego balked, jerkong back in wide eyed surprise, before his brow furrowed in concern. "Taylor, what're you talki-"

"Diego, you've seen your future." Taylor huffed, his eyes softening as he felt his heart pang briefly with pain. "You're gonna go be a professor, and write a bestseller; which, I expect a free, autographed copy of by the way. Complete with dedication and everything." He said, snickering lightly as he looked back out to sea. "Grace is going to be an amazing artist, Quinn is going to found a non-profit, Raj is gonna pretty much  _own_  the cooking network..." He said, his throat constrictibg as he lowered his gaze to the rocks below them. "And  _Jake..._  Jake is gonna clear his name, and Mike's, and they're gonna make Lundgren pay for everything he did to them; and anyone else."

"Taylor, not to be the weird guy who points out the obvious, but..." Diego hedged, his hand coming to rest on Taylors shoulder on concern. "Those all sound like pretty awesome futures..."

"They  _are."_  Taylor agreed, his goofy smile returning as he turned back to Diego. "And, don't get me wrong; I am  _so_  proud of all of you... But, I guess I'm just mourning." He sighed, rolling his eyes when Diego frowned in confusion. "Because I can't go with you." He said gently, pretending he had something in his eye, as he wiped away his forming tears.

"What?" Diego yelped, his eyes widening, as his grip on Taylors shoulder tightened. "How do you know? You might have just, not have seen your future yet... Maybe-"

"Jake's future confirmed it for me." Taylor said quietly, sighing as he looked up at the stars. "He was so confident, and brave; facing down Lundgren like he did... But, it wasn't me by his side. I wasn't the person there to share that part of his life with him." He said, scrubbing his damp cheeks with his sleeve again.

"Mike..." Diego said quietly, his face falling in realisation. Taylor hummed in confirmation, smiling over at his friend brokenly. "Is that why you're so weird about him..?"

"I don't know." Taylor said honestly, shrugging his shoulder dismissively. "And to be honest... I don't care, anymore. My time is limited, and not just with Jake... But all of you. I guess, its just dawning on me, is all." He said, choking back a small sob. "How much I'm gonna miss you all." He explained, sniffing as he shook his head and laughed lightly. "However, I heard some good advice recently. And now, I'm gonna stick to living by that... ' _I don't know how long this'll take, or if it'll last... But, I'm happy just to have it while I can_ '." He repeated Mr Kelly's words form Quinn's vision, drawing in a deep breath to push his emotions back into the cage he'd built in his mind.

"Taylor," Diego choked, his own eyes watering at his friends suddenly obvious pain. "Dude, you have got to tell-"

"Don't even  _think_  it." Taylor said quickly, shaking his head. "I mean it Diego, please, if I mean anything at all to you; don't tell Jake. I won't have him throw away a victory he's more than earned, just because he feels sorry for my lonely ass." He said, meeting Diego's gaze seriously. "He'll be loved, he'll be safe, he'll be  _free..._  He'll be able to find his family. What more could I want for him?"

"I dunno, for him to happy,  _with you?"_  Diego snarked, frowning at Taylor worriedly. "Taylor, don't you think this is a decision he should be making for himself?"

"No, Diego. This is  _my_  decision now." Taylor said, swallowing thickly as he tried to clear his emotions aside. "Jake has a fantastic future ahead of him. You  _all_  do. And I  _want_  that. Please..." He pleaded, his hand rising to grip Diego's hand imploringly. "Please, don't take that from me to."

Diego grimaced, turning away as he ran a hand through his hair distractedly. Finally he sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine, but just so you know; you better be building me my own damn holiday home for when I come and visit." Diego groused, frowning as he peered up at Taylor in obvious distress.

Taylor choked on a laugh, a relieved grin spreading across his face, as he pulled Diego into a tight hug. "I'll even name it." He promised, as Diego gripped the back of his jacket tightly. "'Assbutt Lodge'." He said, laughing as Diego drew back and swatted his shoulder. They bumped fists, and exchanged fond grins. "Thanks, buddy." He said quietly, as Diego snorted and moved away slightly, leading them catch up to the others.

"It is a long journey to the chasm from here." Varyyn said, as Diego stepped up beside him, glancing back at Taylor as the Vaanti draped his arm around his shoulders.

The Clockmaker glanced toward one of the other Anachronists, who handed her a small cylinder. "Distances in space and time are our speciality, remember?" She said brightly, glancing over at Taylor briefly, before beginning to fiddle with the cylinder. He watched in fascination as she opened a time rift, only for Quinn to approach and draw him aside.

"Taylor..." She said, looking uo at him with a content and sincere gaze. "Thank you, for everything, back there." She hedged, her cheeks tingeing with pink as she peeked up at him.

"Any time, Quinn." He said, beaming down at her as he chuckled quietly. "Your dads pretty awesome, you know? I can see a lot of him in you." He added fondly, as Quinn's eyes watered, and she silently drew him into a brief tight hug, before dashing away to curl into Kele's side.

Taylor huffed, his heart aching in his chest longingly, though he hid it all beneath his smile. He turned back to the rift, where he could see mountains and a snowy forest, within the rifts undulating border. "The chasm shouldn't be far." The Clockmaker said thoughtfully, peeking through herself. "I'd send you beneath Mount Atropo, but it's a nexus for time anomalies..."

"No problem." Taylor said, offering her stopwatch back to her. "Thanks again for everything, Clockmaker." He said, meeting her goggled gaze with a meaningful expression.

"Oh, thank  _you."_  She said, hesitating before she curled his fingers over the stopwatch, and pushed it back towards him. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep my brothers and sisters entertained?" She asked lightly, pointedly ignoring Taylors confused frown.

"It was a very good night!" Enthused the spiky haired female, as she traded fist bumps with Craig and Zahra.

"I mean, yeah..." The jock said, exchanging a grin with Zahra before they looked back to the Vaanti. "If by 'good' you mean, a puke your guys out ride to hell..."

"That's what she means." The other Vaanti confirmed, shaking his head sadly. "It was all over a bit soon, I must say." He said dismissively, as Zahra held out her fist to The Clockmaker, who gingerly bumped it with her own.

"Keep it real, dudes." Zahra said fondly, saluting briskly, as she grinned and moved away with Craig.

"It seems," Yvonne called, as they prepared to enter the portal, drawing their attention back to the pirates. "We are also, parting ways, amis..."

"You all fought bravely out there." Malatesta praised, his arm looped loosely around Yvonne's waist. "Luck and fair winds at yet backs, 'til we meet again."

"Same to you two." Taylor said, leaning forward to embrace Yvonne quickly, though he grimaced when she immediately kissed both his cheeks.

"See you clowns later." Jake said, scowling at Yvonne, as everyone stepped through the rift together. Taylor gasped, as they walked out into deep snow, smiling as he raised a hand to catch an errant snowflake.

"Can this island just decide on a  _temperature_  to stick to?" Michelle demanded hotly, scowling around the snowy landscape. "My hairs drying out as it is..."

"I see some buildings up ahead." Sean said, pointing to some cabins grouped together among the trees. "Maybe we could try to shelter there for the night."

Taylor hummed to himself as they approached the cabins, his heart fluttering beneath his conflicting emotions, but content; that he'd come to his own decision about his circumstances. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled through his nose, perring through the first cabins windows as he walked past. He found it to be empty, save for bunks, fireplaces and basic furniture. "Not much, but the roofs solid." He said, turning to find Estela just behind him.

"We're lucky to have  _anything_  in this kind of weather." The dark haired girl agreed, grasping his arm briefly in a rare show of affection, before clwsring her throat gruffly. "Lets go inside and get some fires lit." She suggested, brushing past him to enter the first cabin.

Taylor shook his head and turned to find the others, raising a brow as he noticed Jake muttering to a few people from the group. His heart clenched nervously, as he saw Diego look over and smile at him.

"Hey, everyone!" He called unsubtly, drawing the group to gather around him, as Taylor cautiously approached. "Let's go help with that fire building!" He cheered enthusiastically, hisbeyss dancing with an excitement which made Taylors gut twist uneasily.

"Uh, I don't think  _all_  of us-" Quinn began to protest, her eyes wide at the sight of his obvious over eagerness.

"It's a very  _complicated_  fire, okay?" Diego interrupted with q scowl, grabbing Quinn's wrist and pulling her into the woods after him. "Come  _on!"_  He urged, ignoring her protests, as Taylor watched the group head out in confusion.

Jake sidled up to him, causing him to jump as he leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Join me in the other cabin?" He asked softly, a wide and hopeful grin on his face.

Taylors heart melted at the pilots expression, desire curling in his gut as he met Jake's clear eyes with a soft smile. "Of course." He said, as Jake pulled off his jacket and threw it over his shoulders, much to Taylors amusement. "Hmm, jacket on jacket... Not sure that's gonna be the next big fashion, Top Gun." He sniggered, as they entered the second cabin.

Jake snorted and shut the door behind them, as Taylor set his bag down at the end of the bed, laying Jake's jacket on one side, and removing his own to lay beside it. He looked around the cabin with a small grin, perching himself on the arm of the couch, as Jake knelt on the rug and used a lighter to ignite some kindling in the fireplace. "So..." Taylor said, quirking a brow at the pilot and flashing him a cocky grin. "You sure worked hard to get us alone." He said, his fingers tapping nervously at the back of the couch, out of the pilots line of sight.

Jake laughed and pulled him down to the floor beside him, as he tossed a log onto the licking flames. "You complaining?" He asked, raising a brow as he grinned over at him.

 _"Never."_  Taylor scoffed, biting his lip as his own smile faded slightly. "But, I can't help but be a little curious. What's going on?" He asked, his heart lurching as Jake sucked in a deep breath suddenly.

"I guess..." The pilot hedged, staring into the flames before them. "I have something I wanna say." He said, as Taylor squirmed nervously.

 _Please, Diego... You promised_... He thought, scratching his ear awkwardly, before dropping his hand to his knee and toying with the silky fabric of his trousers.

Jake opened his mouth a couple of times, only to close it right away. He laughed, and shook his head at himself, as Taylor bit his lip and watched in growing concern. "I don't know why this is so hard..." The pilot snorted, chuckling in amusement. "Really thought it would be easier." He huffed, glancing over at Taylor fondly.

"Jake... What are you talking about?" Taylor asked, unable to keep a smile on his face any longer, frowning over at the pilot in concern. "Are you okay?" He pressed worriedly, raising his hand to chew a nail nervously.

Jake looked up at him with his clear eyes brimming with joy, the sight stealing Taylors breath, as his heart faltered. "... Better than okay." Jake finally said, his smile blinding as he reached over and delicately stole Taylors hand from his lips, holding it between his own in the space between them. "Taylor, I spent the last three years of my life, running away. From  _everything,_  and  _everyone."_  He said slowly, shaking his head as he watched Taylor continued to worry his lip. "But as soon as I met you, I  _stopped_  running. I woke up  _every day,_  excited, just to be by your side." He explained, squeezing Taylors hand gently, as he sucked in a deep breath; while Taylors heart raced nervously in his chest. "And, when I think of all we've been through... I  _never_  want to run away again." He said firmly, smiling over at Taylor in such a way that his heart almost crashed right through his chest.

"Jake..." Taylor choked, his heart racing as Jake leaned down and laid adoring kisses along the top of his hand.

Finally, his cerulean eyes rose to meet Taylors, clear and confident and determined. "... Marry me, Taylor." He said, chuckling quietly, as Taylors eyes widened in shock.

 _Diego told him... That's why, he's just_... Taylor blinked, his mind racing as he shook his head in disbelief.  _"What?!"_  He yelped, panic raging in his heart and his head, as he pulled his hand free of Jake's and scrambled to his feet.

"Taylor?" Jake asked, hopping to his feet quickly as he frowned, reaching for him only for Taylor to skit away from him fearfully.

"W-what made you-? I mean, why  _now?_  I don't... I-" Taylor babbled, running his hands through his hair nervously. "Did Diego, I mean... Did he say something? Make you feel you had to-"

"Taylor, what the hell is going on? And what the hell has anyone else got to do with anythin'?" Jake asked, frowning as his eyes clouded with pain, confused by Taylors reaction. "What's he supposed to have said, exactly?"

Taylor grimaced, turning around as he leaned his head against the cabin wall. "N-nothing... I just-" he choked, only for Jake to grip his shoulders and turn him around, pressing him back into the wall roughly as he scowled.

"Taylor, I'm askin'; because I love you. No other reason. Did you not just hear, a  _damn_  word that I just said?" He demanded, his hands squeezing Taylors shoulders lightly. "You tell me whatever it is that you're hidin' now."

Taylor sighed, slowly looking up at Jake longingly. "I just, don't want this to be some sort of... I dunno, guilt proposal." He hedged, stretching the truth without full on lying to the pilot. "Jake, I love you more than anything... I don't want you to be doing this because you feel you have to, or because of whatever the others told you about, when we were stuck in the past..." He said, his hand rising to toy with the pilots hair gently.

Jake stared at him intently for a long moment, seeming to weigh his words carefully, before releasing his shoulders, and taking his hand, pressing it firmly to his chest. "I  _cannot_  believe you're makin' me do this kinda sappy shit again..." He grumbled, feigning a scowl as he pressed Taylors hand to his steady heartbeat. "Taylor, bane of my goddamn life...  _Love_  of my goddamn life. I have no idea, what stupid shit you have in your head this time; but I want you listen and hear me when I say that I love you, and I don't wanna do this for any reason than I damn well wanna." He said, his eyes locked onto Taylors intently.

Taylor bit his lip, his heart hammering as he realised that the pilot was entirely serious, and entirely of his own accord. He choked on a half hysterical giggle, lowering his gaze to his feet, as his cheeks flared with heat.

"Taylor, every time something happens and I think I might have lost you... It  _destroys_  me." Jake said quietly, leaning forward to press his head to Taylors. "I've come to realise, I don't wanna lose another second. I don't wanna spend another minute, let alone a day, without you beside me." He said, his lips brushing Taylors temple briefly, before the pilot drew back, his gaze intent on Taylors lowered face. "So can ya gimme an answer here? Please? Or was that whole, display... it?"

Taylor tried to draw in a deep breath, tried to calm his clamouring pulse, though it proved a fruitless endeavour. His heart crashed in his chest, as he bit his lip and slowly raised his eyes to meet the pilots now nervous gaze.  _I don't know how long this'll take, or if it'll last... But, I'm happy just to have it while I can._  He thought, nodding cautiously. Jake's brow rose, as Taylor nodded harder, clearing his throat to barely manage a whisper. "Yes.." He said, his hand curling over Jake's chest as he felt the pilots heart race similarly to his own. As Jake broke out in a hopeful grin, Taylor shoved away all of his lingering indecision, his body trembling in excitement. " _To the stars and back, yes_!" He cried haltingly, his voice breaking as Jake blinked back tears, his smile spreading ear to ear before he surged forward and captured Taylors lips in a frenzied and impassioned kiss, eager to feel Taylor against him.

Taylors heart soared, as he tried to pour all of his love and affection into the kiss, twisting frantically to try and pull Jake closer against him. When they finally separated, panting for breath, a dry laugh escaped the pilot. "Well," he choked, gazing at Taylor in disbelief, as he dragged his fingers over his cheek affectionately. "That's a relief."

Taylor grinned, his heart lighter than he could bring himself to remember. "Scared I'd really say no to you for once?" He asked, his fingers toying with the pilots dog tags absently.

"Well, maybe a little." Jake admitted, scoffing as he nuzzled along Taylors throat. "You certainly had me going for a minute there..." He said, drawing back slightly as his hands rose to cup Taylors face, shaking his head as he stared at him in wonder. "I love you,  _so_  much, Taylor..." He said, swallowing thickly as he leaned closer. "I'll do everything I can, to give you the life you deserve."

"As long as you're in it," Taylor said, his eyes stinging from the joyful tears which he couldn't manage to control. "There's not really anything else I need." He admitted, staring up at Jake adoringly, as the pilot flashed a cocky grin at him. As the fire continued to roar, their lips found each other passionately once again, desires and emotions raging fiercely and uncontrolled.

Taylor lost himself to Jake's demanding and passionate kisses, his heart hammering against the pilots, as they pressed themselves together as snugly as they could manage. He eagerly wrapped himself around the pilot, drawing him ever closer as he felt his body flare with heat, desire and longing. He groaned vreathlessly, as Jake gripped his thighs suddenly, lifting him up against the wall, before carrying him over to the bed on the opposite side of the cabin.

 _"Whoa..!"_  He yelped, as Jake let go, leaving him to bounce on the springy mattress, before covering his body with his own. He scooted backwards, blindly climbing back to the pillows, as he peppered whatever part of his pilot he could reach with eager kisses. Jake prowled above him, grinning as he watched Taylor squirm beneath him hopefully. Finally he relented, sinking over Taylor and capturing his lips in a deep kiss which conveyed his utter joy, before rolling aside with a light snicker. "Taylor, you realise you're exhausted?" He asked, his fingers curling over Taylors hand affectionately.

Taylor pouted, shaking his head as he rolled on his side and ricked against his pilot. "But there's a very prominent part of me which is very much  _awake."_  He said, teasing his pilot with light kisses along his stubbled jaw.

"Hmm, and while I am very much aware of that, and believe me; really,  _really_  regretful to have to refuse you for once..." Jake murmured, dipping to catch Taylors retreating lips with his own. "We got the rest of our lives, to make up for missing tonight..." He mumbled, as Taylor sighed and reluctantly drew back, only to yawn quietly.

"Hmm, better be some  _damn_  good makin' it up time..." He grumbled, curling into Jake's side. "Starting first thing in the morning." He demanded, kissing Jake's shoulder as the pilot pulled him closer.

"You got it, Boy Scout." Jake huffed in amusement, holding Taylor tight against him, as they quickly drifted to sleep, exhausted by the battle and their emotional exchanges.

Taylor slept soundly through most of the night, the sound of his pilots steady heartbeat beneath his ear as he slumbered. He jerked awake suddenly however, in the early hours of the morning. The sky was still dark, but he could just make out the snowflakes drifting past the window. Jake's arms held him close, and he grinned as he felt the pilots quietly snoring face nuzzle into the nape of his neck. He snickered sleepily, about to close his eyes and go back to sleep, when a beam of blue green light briefly flashed through the window.  _Huh?_  He thought, peering through the window groggily, as he sat up slightly.  _What was that?_  He wondered, catching sight of the strange light again, and snapping suddenly into wakefulness; when he realised that the light was coming from a glowing sphere, being carried away through the trees.

"Jake..." He called, turning to shake the pilot awake quickly. "... Someone's taken The Islands Heart!"


	10. All Our Yesterdays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohayou gozaimasu...
> 
> So... i had an awesome birthday - thankyou all so.much, bexause you were such a huge part of that.  
> Unfortunately the day after, my world imploded with nasty crap (the worst being my car dying and my need to somehow raise £500 by wednesday) and i have had a hell of a weekend... 
> 
> This should really have been ready yestwrday for you all, but i was too depressed and went to sleep. I hope i havent spoilt it somewhere along the way without noticing because i would hate to ruin this now, when youre all so amazingly supportive about it...
> 
> Anyway, enough of my woes! I hope you all enjpy this! Some of.it was such awesome.fun, some i worried about more than perhaps i should have... but, here it is :) and i hope you like it.
> 
> I have definite plot marked for the next chapter, but after that; things might start to change up a little :s i dunno entirely yet tbh, i know where its going - kust not quite how its gonna get there :p
> 
> Anywhoo i better get shutting up!  
> Thankyou all for reading, know that im thinking if you and love you all and always about should you wanna chat - and uh, i hope to see you all again soon...
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I'm not fond of life loss, you're aware, I know... But even so, I could never really bring myself to feel too bad this time._

_I still can't believe... After everything you already surprised me with, you managed to go and do it again! But, that's exactly why I love you... All of you. You all mean, absolutely everything to me._

_It seems inevitable, looking back... That Rourke try to take that again. But not anymore. I won't let him take a single thing else from any of you_.

**10.**

**All Our Yesterdays**.

Taylor blinked tiredly, rubbing his eyes, as he frowned through the cabin window. Outside, a mysterious light source caused fallen snow to sparkle brightly. His eyes widened, the vestiges of sleep abandoning him as he caught sight of a glowing sphere, moving away through the trees. "Jake..." He called, turning to shake the pilot awake quickly. "... Someone's taken The Islands Heart!"

"Hmm, no they haven't..." Jake mumbled curling deeper into the bed, as he reached for Taylor. "Ya hallucinatin'... over exhaustion." He huffed, finding Taylors hand and pulling him to the bed sharply.

 _"Jaaaaake..!"_  Taylor sighed, grinning despite his exasperation, as Jake curled himself tightly around his hand. "C'mon, I'm serious!  _Look!"_

Jake sighed heavily, cracking an eye open to frown at him sleepily, and only succeeding in making Taylors heart melt with affection. With a groan he sat up and looked out the window, brushing the hair from his face as his expression slowly darkened.  _"Fiddler."_  He spat, glancing at Taylor before the pair of them jumped from the bed, forgetting their jackets as they raced outside urgently. "I'll track her scrawny ass, you wake the others!" Jake yelled, immediately setting off, as Taylor raced over to the other cabin.

"Wake up, wake up!" He cried, slamming through the door and startling most of his friends awake. He noticed Diego still sleeping soundly beside Varyyn, and ge scowled as he grabbed a handful of snow, pressing it into a ball and lobbing it at his head. "I said,  _wake up!"_  He cried, as Mike ran over, his bionic eye wide in concern.

"Grandpa-" he asked worriedly, scanning the doorway for Jake outside.

"He's tracking her, we have to hurry." Taylor said urgently. Mike's expression immediately darkening in understanding, as he raced out the door to head after Jake. Taylor felt a brief twist of jealousy nip at his heart, but he turned to his friends quickly, frowning as they raised themselves from the bed slowly. "Come on, Fiddler has the Heart!"

 _"What?!"_  Quinn cried, leaning over her bed to look at her bag, the flap noticeably hanging open. "How did she even get in here without us noticing?!"

"Who cares," Diego yelped, shaking the remnants of Taylors snowball from his beard. "We're lucky we didn't wake up as the new cast of Texas Chainsaw Massacre!"

"Okay, first off; we are certainly not in Texas," Taylor huffed in exasperation, rolling his eyes as everyone slipped into their shoes. "And also, it would have to be a Katana Massacre."

"Oh sure, be smug, by all means...  _Assbutt."_  Diego muttered, scowling as he ran his eyes over him quickly. "So, we going or what?"

"Oh, are you ready now?" Taylor asked innocently, scowling as Diego glared at him. "Come on!" He urged, darting outside and leading the others after the speck of red he could see moving through the trees.

Taylor raced after Mike, his heart crashing in his chest, as the other man chased after Jake; his pilot tracking Fiddler, and the stolen Islands Heart. After several minutes of hunting through the snow, they found Mike and Jake paused between some trees, back to back as they gazed around suspiciously.

Taylors heart seemed to stop mid-crash, the pilots working in perfect sync as they maneuvered to survey the area around them, two bodies in complete harmony; understanding what each other wanted, without a word exchanged between them. He stepped back, as snowflakes drifted amid the trees, landing in coarse clumps on the forest floor. He startled, as he heard distant laughter.

"Jeanine, you damned  _coward!"_  Jake roared, scowling into the area around him cautiously. "Get  _back_  here!" He yelled, as Fiddler began to laugh louder.

"Coward?" She taunted, her sneer evident in her thick drawl. "That's rich, coming from someone who spent  _three years_  on the run..." She said lightly, as Taylors friends caught up to him, Diego's hand coming to rest on his arm in concern, upon noticing the twisted expression he wore.

"Hey, the Hearts  _ours!"_  Craig growled, scowling into the swirling white mass around them. "You can't just jack our stuff!"

Quinn narrowed her eyes, extending her hand as she concentrated. "Come...  _back!"_  She ordered, and moments later, The Islands Heart tore itself free of Fiddlers grasp, hurtling towards Quinn as it shone brightly.

 _"Wha-?"_  Fiddler choked on disbelief, quickly moving away from her revealed hiding spot, as Jake and Mike raced towards it; before placing themselves back to back again as they heard her move.

The Heart stopped suddenly, hovering beside Quinn as her eyes rolled back, the both of them promptly tumbling to the ground.  _"Quinn!"_  Taylor cried, snapped from his shock as he rushed to the redheads side with Diego, while Craig scooped up the Heart.

"You and your magical girl are going to  _regret_  that." Fiddler promised, the sound of razor sharp steel slowly being drawn, slicing through the air around them. Taylor scowled blindly through the snow, as his friends began to mutter nervously to one another.

"I don't think anyone regrets anything if it screws  _you_  over." He snorted, searching the area carefully, and noticing that the snowflakes near Diego were being interrupted mid fall. "Diego, look out!" He warned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he reached out and tried to control the flow of time.

"You see her, Taylor?" Diego asked, moving closer to the group quickly. Taylor didn't respond, his gaze locked on the retreating snowflake-less haze. He scowled as he tugged on a strand of time, pushing himself into motion as Fiddler slowly began to materialize behind Zahra. He quickly turned his friend aside, raising his foot to kick Fiddler backwards, when time suddenly tore from his grip and righted itself.

 _"Hnnf!"_  He growled, his foot skimming just past her as she dodged aside, his momentum carrying him too far forward to manipulate his attack.

"Well well, Wolf's little boy toy has  _claw_ _s..."_  Fiddler chuckled, "I think I better clip 'em, quick." She snarled, swinging her foot towards his legs, as he rolled forward and quickly rose back to a crouch, twisting to face her just as her foot swung round, connecting to the side of his jaw.

"Boy Scout!" Jake yelled, racing over with Mike as Taylor tipped sideway to the ground, but managed to block Fiddlers follow up kick, catching her foot and twisting sharply to throw her off balance.

"What the-!" She growled, scowling at him hatefully as he pushed to his feet quickly. "Aw, has little Jake been teaching his new toy to play?" She sneered, glancing over at Mike pointedly, as he and Jake drew closer. "Just as well, he was pretty negligent in that department last time..." She said in a loud stage whisper, causing Taylor to freeze in shock. "Aw, poor baby... you really got it  _bad_  for the Wolf, huh? Too bad, he's nothin' but a randy ol' horndog." She snickered, as Taylor shook his head, glaring at her hatefully.

"You're nothing but a filthy liar!" He growled, launching into a flurry of attacks similar to those he'd traded when training with Jake. He threw everything he had into his attacks, barely noticing the others pause around them as he flew at her in a rage, driving her back towards the trees.

"Heh, you can say the words, but it don't mean you  _believe_  'em sugar..." Fiddler teased, deflecting his attacks as best she could. "You know... don't you? That there's that little something  _extra special_  'bout their  _'friendship'..."_

 _"No!"_  Taylor snarled in denial, jabbing his fist towards her face, and barely managing to alter its course when she slid her katana into its path. His heart raced as his mind swirled with disconnected words, anguish driving his fight as opposed to his wits.

"Shut your  _filthy_  mouth, Jeanine!" Jake snarled, trying to rush forward, only for Diego and Varyyn to hold him back, knowing to let him closer would distract Taylor.

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted," Mike said thoughtfully, frowning as he shook his head in disbelief. "I feel like I should be insulted... I mean, you actually think I would put up with  _half_  Grandpa's shit? Jeanine... I'm insulted." He said scathingly.

"Oh  _lookit!"_  Fiddler sniggered, ducking a wide swing from Taylor, while raising her leg to kick towards his back as he sailed past her. "The little Mouse is all grown up, and thinkin' for himself again." She snorted, jumping back as Taylor twisted and spun his arm back around towards her.

"You got a lot of fuckin' nerve, Jeanine!" Jake snarled, as Mike scowled and moved to join the fight, until Craig and Sean blocked his way.

"Leave the Lemming outta this, Jeanine!" Mike growled, "you have me and Grandpa;  _we're_  the ones you want!" He added, reaching for his jetpack controls, only for Sean to reluctantly prevent him. "What the hell is  _wrong_  with you people?!" He demanded, staring at the athlete in disbelief.

Sean glanced over to Taylor, who was scowling in concentration, as he attacked Fiddler with everything he had, determination blazing fiercely. "We don't like it any more than you, or Jake..." Sean sighed, gesturing towards where Jake was furiously struggling against Varyyn and Diego, cursing imaginatively at them. "But, if you try and bust in and help him now; you'll only end up getting him hurt." The athlete explained, as Mike grimaced and relented his attempts to get past them.

Taylor only half listened to his friends, forcing himself to ignore Jake entirely, as his pilot hurled obscenities at anyone in his way. His focused narrowed, his only desire to silence Fiddler and end her smug insinuations, before they ripped right through him. "What does Wolf's little  _pet_  think?" She taunted gleefully, one of her katana's almost slicing off his ear, instead barely grazing hid cheek, as Taylor managed to turn abruptly.

"Shut up, you miserable harpy!" Taylor snarked, his heart racing as his body began to tire, still struggling after their fight with Cetus. "Jesus, what is it with Lundgren hiring people who love the sound of their own voices?!" He demanded, refusing to look towards his pilot at the loud cry of protest he received. Instead, he threw himself into a heavy right hook, ducking low to dodge Fiddlers counterattack and connecting with her stomach.

 _"Oof!"_  Fiddler gasped, jumping back as she winced in pain. She glowered at Taylor, her lip curling in disgust as she sneered at him. "So, the Wolf's little boy toy, wants to play  _rough..."_  She cackled maliciously, her grin turning maniacal. "How 'bout I just spell it out for you then,  _pup?"_  She asked, crossing her blades before her face to block a blow, before lowering them to grin at him ecstatically. "I've...  _seen..._  them..." She said slowly, loud enough for Taylor to hear as he threw an attack toward her, but quiet enough the others wouldn't overhear them. She watched with glee, as her smug confidence shattered Taylors heart.

 _What..? No... That... can't be_ -?! He thought brokenly, his attack falling wide in his shock and heartbreak, giving Fiddler an opportunity to slip behind him. She kicked the back of his knee hard, yanking a fistful of hair back as he fell to his knees, and prepared to drive a katana quickly through his back.

 _"Taylor!"_  Jake roared, his struggles increasing, as Taylor looked upwards, panting heavily as his heart splintered in his chest. "Let him go,  _right fuckin' now_ , Jeanine! I  _swear,_  I'll-"

"You'll  _what,_  Wolf?" She sneered smugly, tugging Taylors hair further back as she pushed her katana forward gently, forcing him to bend to an unnatural angle with a wince; though he stubbornly bit his lip to avoid voicing his protest. "Even try and make a single move, and you won't be getting your little pet back..." She said, shrugging one shoulder as she chuckled sadistically. "Well, not in one piece anyway..."

Taylor ignored them all, lost in his own torment as he stared blankly at the sky.  _They lied..? Why_? He wondered confusedly, his eyes stinging as Fiddlers katana pressed against his spine.  _Why the hell would_..?

"Kiddos, I'm  _real_  tired of your little games." Fiddler said loudly, glaring around them all, as Jake finally fell silent, his eyes clouded by desperation. "Now, I'm gonna need that Heart back... Unless you want your little friend here to  _lose_  his." She sniggered, peering down at his heartbroken expression smugly. "Although, he kinda looks like that'd be a relief for him, just now." She said, glancing around as they all looked to Taylor in concern. "Something eating you, little pup?"

Taylor bit his lip, ignoring her jibes as his heart ached, twisted and confused by the woman's taunting. He swallowed thickly, finding a streak of dark pink among the blackness above them, the first sign of dawns approach. "I'm  _fine."_  He said, his voice breaking as his heart lurched in denial of his lie. "Don't give it to her."

"Ha, oh you're really  _cut up_  about those two, aren't ya, little pup?" She laughed, twisting her fingers in his short hair, making him wince. "Oh, Wolf, your new pet doesn't share well with others, does he?"

"He doesn't need to, ya filthy skag." Jake growled, glaring at her hatefully, between nervous glances at Taylor. "Get the  _hell_  offa him!"

"Working solo's making you desperate, Jeanine." Mike said, scowling at Fiddler, shaking his head. "You get stood up by Doc Octopus?" He sneered, narrowing his eyes at the woman in disgust. "What the hell do you get outta messin' the Kid up like this? Why're you tryin' so hard to screw things up between 'em?"

Fiddler scowled, pulling Taylors head back further as she stepped closer to him. " _Because I don't like Jake_!" She snarled, barely noticing Taylor tense suddenly, his heart racing as he listened to her furious ranting. "All the shit we used to do, and all the boss ever cared about was his  _precious_  Wolf... All that mattered, was magic Wolf, who graduated top of the class with his little sidekick; and made Arachnid rise up the ranks." She growled, scowling over at Jake hatefully.

 _She used it to throw me off... She knows damn well how messed up I am about it all_. Taylor thought, as he curled his hands into tight balls, his heart aching as he considered his own gullibility.  _And I took the bait, just right to let her beat me down... So she could put **him**  down._

"And then  _I_  got to be the one who showed what the Wolf really was... Nothin' but the bottom dwelling, slime infested  _scum,_  I always knew he was." Fiddler crowed, breaking out in a cruel but gleeful grin.

"Shut up, you lying harpy..." Taylor muttered, scowling as his heart clenched at her derisive ramblings. "You're nothing but a spiteful, little troll... You'd never have been  _half_  the soldier Jake w-  _hnng!"_

 _"Taylor!"_  Jake yelled, his struggles renewing briefly as Fiddler jerked sharply on Taylors hair, twisting her blade up from behind his back to rest against his throat, nicking him lightly.

"Well, look who found their tongue again..." She chuckled, as a thin trail of blood trickled down Taylors throat. "And here I thought I'd finally shut you up." She sneered, as Taylor scowled at her.

"Yeah, well..." He scoffed, his lip curling in self depreciation. "It's been mentioned once or twice that I'm an idiot..." He sniffed, finally glancing over at Jake as he swallowed heavily, his skin brushing against the katana blade dangerously. "But then I realised... Of the two of you; there's only  _one_  who's ever actually lied to me."

"You really pick ya bloody moments, Boy Scout..." Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair distractedly, as he gazed over at him with tormented eyes.

Taylor huffed, his gaze softening as he felt his heart lurch, yearning for his pilot as he felt himself flush with guilt. "Heh, what can I say, I'm big on making memorable displays of affection..." He said, grinning weakly even as he winced, when Fiddler jerked his hair again.

"Any chance you can choose a better setting in future?" Jake asked tightly, his tortured glare locked onto Fiddler's katana, as she pressed it threateningly to Taylors neck. "The whole, imminent death thing ain't half so romantic as you seem to think..."

"I'll bear it in mind..." Taylor said lightly, grimacing at the tightening fingers in his hair. He scowled at her, as she peered down at him, sneering at her hateful expression. "Pretty sure she isn't gonna do anything though... She wouldn't wanna make her boss mad, seeing how she loves him so much."

"Shit, your little Lemming just painted an image in my head I never wanted to imagine, Grandpa..." Mike sighed, scrubbing his eyes roughly. "This is  _so_  much worse than seeing you in a dress..."

"Hey, that was a dare and I  _won!"_  Jake growled, barely glancing over before looking back at Taylor worriedly. "Not only that, but I did it in  _style!"_

"You know, I've said it before; but I  _really,_  don't like your mouth." Fiddler snarled, lowering her sneering face to Taylors, as he glared up at her. "Who the hell d'you think you are, spouting such disrespect about me? Especially, with such  _bad timing_..." She said slowly, her blade glinting as she trailed it tauntingly over his throat, deliberately nicking him again as she raised a brow.

"Heh, you're talking to the king of jealousy..." Taylor scoffed, ignoring her katana as he leaned up towards her. "You're  _nothing_  to Lundgren. Hell, I bet he values Muscle Man Two Thousand over  _you..."_  He taunted, taking a vicious glee from the sour twist of her lips, as Fiddler grimaced at him.

"Tetra..." She scoffed, painting a smirk back on her face. "He mutinied. Took an entire squad with him... They're all dead now." She said smugly, leaning close to Taylors ear, as she leered over at Jake spitefully. "Just... like  _this_  one's about to be."

"Heh, well I never liked Tetra anyway, so I sure won't miss him..." Taylor snorted, his eyes narrowing as he spied a strand of time glittering a short distance over Fiddlers head. "Just like Lundgren won't miss  _you,_  when Jake kicks your ass." He whispered with a snicker, which devolved into a choking gasp, as Fiddler pulled back with a growl; moving to slice her katana across his throat in her fury.

 _"No!"_  Jake cried desperately, as Taylors eyes moved to his guiltily. "Dammit, don't listen to him; he's a gobby shit at the worst of times... It's like fear is his trigger."

"Hey, I'm  _right_  here!" Taylor snarked, as Fiddler glared over at Jake, noticeably waiting for him to continue. "And I am  _not_  scared of this 'Species' wannabe..." He muttered petulantly, as he realised everyone was ignoring him.

"Look, Jeanine; we all know you don't want the Heart for yaself... And if you actually try and kill him,  _you_  know you've only got a matter of seconds left, before I drag you to hell myself." Jake said darkly, scowling hatefully at Fiddler.

"You can't kill all of us, Jeanine, but you can give us all no reason to hold back anymore." Mike warned, eyeing the katana nervously, as the woman considered.

"He's right, Jeanine." Jake said quickly, his fingers curling into tight fists as Diego and Varyyn exchanged nervous glances. "You're gonna need a better plan than this." He said, gesturing to Kele to approach, and grabbing the crystal shards they'd collected near Quarr'tel from his pocket. "Take  _these_  back to Daddy Weirdbucks. Say... say we broke the Heart, in the struggle." He pleaded, holding out the shards to Fiddler.

"It's the best you're gonna get, Fiddler." Taylor said quietly, scowling at her as he swallowed thickly. "They'll never give you the Heart. At least this way, you don't have to go back empty handed."

"It's a generous offer..." Fiddler conceded as she looked down at him, a malicious smirk curling her lip as she slowly dragged her blade across Taylor's collarbone, a thin red line appearing in the flesh. "But I'm not a liar; not when it comes to  _Rourke."_

"No, you're  _worse."_  Jake snarled, thrashing against Varyyn and Diego as Taylor winced and grit his teeth together, determined not to voice his pain. "You're a backstabbing, treacherous little-"

" _Watch your mouth_!" Fiddler snarled, gripping the hilt harder and twisting the tip to Taylors pulsing jugular, as she snapped her eyes over to Jake.

"Jake, it's okay! I'm fine!" Taylor called, wincing at the awkward angle he had to tip his neck at, in order to prevent himself being cut any further.

" _Give her the goddamn Heart_!" Jake roared, his eyes wide as he looked over at Craig desperately, to find the jock biting his lip uncertainly.

"Craig,  _don't!"_  Taylor yelled, grimacing as his hand began to rise to Fiddlers, only for her katana to expertly shift and nick his ear in warning. "I'm fine! Just, whatever you do!  _Don't_  give it to her!"

"Taylor, I know you have this whole self sacrifice thing going on, but can you please think about  _us_  over you this time?" Diego cried, struggling to help Varyyn restrain Jake. Taylor glanced over awkwardly, guilt gnawing at him for his pilots distraught state.

"Kid, sometimes you just gotta let it go..." Mike urged, glancing at Jake himself, before locking his pleading gaze back onto Taylor. "I made you a promise, but you gotta stick to it too, Lemming..."

"If you give her the Heart, she's only gonna kill me anyway..." Taylor said, his heart aching as Jake shook his head in vehement denial. "We  _all_  know it... At least this way, she doesn't get to win."

" _Who cares if she fuckin' wins, Taylor_?!" Jake demanded, scowling as his eyes glinted with tears of fear and frustration. " _She can have the goddamn stone, I don't bloody care_! Just... Please, Taylor, don't ask me to-"

"Aw,  _lookit,_  pup!" Fiddler cried gleefully, smirking at Jake's broken and tormented expression, as Taylor wilted and yearned to comfort him. "You went and broke him... But that's given me an idea. Let's see how he copes, as I slice you apart; piece... by... piece." She said slowly, leaning close to Taylors ear as she dragged her katana to Taylors shoulder.

 _"No!"_  Jake yelled, scowling as he threw himself at Diego and Varyyn furiously, only for Sean and Craig to try and help restraining him."Lemme go, ya bloody bastards! Get ya  _goddamn_  hands offa me!" He growled, while Taylors heart clenched at the pilots blatant pain.

 _"Jake..!"_  He called, his eyes darting to the strand of time above Fiddler, his heart racing as the pilot struggled and refused to meet his gaze. "Jake,  _please-"_  he began, only to gasp when Fiddler deftly nicked his shoulder.

" _Arrgh, godammit_!" Jake snarled, finally falling still, though his breathing remained heavy and his eyes tortured.  _"Please,_  Boy Scout... Ya can't... Don't  _do_  this to me. Not  _now..."_  He pleaded, as Taylor tried to shift towards him, wincing at the sharp pull to his hair.

"I'm  _done_  asking nicely, Kiddos." Fiddler growled, drawing her katana back along Taylors shoulder to his collarbone, leaving an open trail of red in her wake. "Gimme the Heart, or the next cuts gonna be the last."

 _"No!"_  Taylor gasped through the pain, gazing at Jake confidently. "She's  _bluffing..._  Don't give-"

"Sorry, bro." Craig called over him, tossing the crystalline sphere at Fiddlers feet without hesitation. "Costs too high, man." He said, as Taylor deflated, his heart aching as Jake's gaze turned hopeful.

 _"There."_  Fiddler cooed, smirking at them all gleefully. "Was that so hard?" She drawled, bending down only for the blunt end of Estela's spear to slam into the Heart. Like a billiard ball struck by a cue, it rolled away before she could so much as touch it.  _"Hey!"_  She snarled, as Estela whirled the spear in her grasp and aiming to take out Fiddlers legs, only for the soldier to lower her katana slightly and shift around Taylor; placing him in the way of Estela's attack.

 _"Noo!"_  Jake cried, as the dark haired girl barely managed to redirect her attack, narrowly avoiding Taylors injured shoulder. "What the  _bloody hell_  are you doin', Ripley?!"

"What he asked!" Estela growled, whirling on the pilot furiously. "He made a choice! Did you not see the look on his face?!"

"Ha, maybe he didn't, little girl," Fiddler taunted spitefully, a malicious grin curling her lips. "But I tell you what, thanks to  _you,_  Wolf here will get to see it for the rest of his pathetic and miserable life; on a pike!" The soldier snarled, her hand loosening in Taylors hair as she raised her katana and began to swing it towards Taylors neck.

 _"Noo!"_  Jake roared, his eyes wide with terror as he lurched forward. Estela gasped, her own eyes widening as the blade whipped through the air towards Taylors throat.

Taylor felt panic swarm his heart, and he glanced at the strand of time, yanking desperately and slowing the blades approach to a crawl by his shoulder. He twisted and yanked his hair free Fiddlers hand, scowling as he leaned forward and braced himself on both hands, freeing his leg from beneath him and kicking Fiddler in the stomach hard; finally releasing the glittering time strand, to send the soldier flying into the nearest tree. "That's my  _goddamn fiancé_  you're talkin' about!"

 _"Oof!"_  She gasped, as Mike raced towards her, vanishing just before he got within range to pin her down. Taylor raced into the trees before anyone could stop him, following the sound of Fiddlers retreating footsteps.

"We kinda gotta catch her guys," he yelled over his shoulder, ducking a low branch, as Mike used his jetpack to jump clear over it. "Unless you  _wanna_  be going through this again anytime soon?"

Kele squinted at the forest floor, as he moved to follow them. "I can see her tracks! You're on the right path... She's heading toward the chasm!"

"I  _know!"_  Taylor called back, scowling as he shook his head and raced after the soldier. "What're you all  _waiting_  for?!"

 _"Taylor!"_  Jake's voice almost made him turn back, the pilot rushing after him with Sean, as their shock finally wore off. "Get back here! Taylor, stay  _away_  from her!"

The first full rays of dawn, gleamed off of the fresh snow, as Taylor and Mike arrived at the chasm's ravine. Ahead of them, Fiddler stood at the precipice, her blades raised defensively as she awaited them. "Well, ain't you a sneaky little thing, after all?" She sneered, as Taylor scowled and stepped towards her. " _Stay back!_ " She warned, spinning her blades through the air ominously. "I'm  _more_  than happy to finish your haircut, brat, but I think it might be a little too close for your liking..."

Taylor and Mike exchanged a glance, taking up positions to block Fiddlers escape. "Nobody has to die here." Taylor said slowly, raising his hands in placation, as Fiddler laughed derisively.

 _"Hahahahaa,_  you actually believe that, don't you?" She snorted, shaking her head in disbelief as she turned her attention to Mike. "You wanna be the one to educate him, little Mousey?" She sniggered, as Mike frowned at her.

"Surrender," he said, raising his own arms carefully, as he slowly stepped closer. "... And we can work this out,  _without_  violence."

Fiddler watched Mike approached suspiciously, her eyes narrowing as he offered her his hand. "You know Darwin..." She said, lowering her blades slowly, as she tentatively stepped closer. "... I never really liked  _you,_  either!" She snarled, whirling expertly and crashing the hilt of her blade into the side of Mike's head, knocking him to the ground.

 _"No!"_  Taylor yelled, running forward and skidding over the snow to kick Fiddlers katana aside, as she made to run her former squad mate through where he'd fallen.

"Urgh, you know... You are  _really_  starting to  _piss_  me off, pup!" She snarled, swinging her katana towards him hatefully.

"Heh, don't worry..." Taylor growled, dodging her attack by rolling aside, quickly hopping to his feet. "The feelings  _entirely mutual!"_  He cried, sweeping his legs across the ground as she ran at him, sending her sprawling behind him.

 _"Taylor!"_  Jake yelled, bursting into the clearing with Sean and Kele close behind him, his chest heaving as he panted heavily for breath.  _"Mike!"_  He cried, upon noticing his friend motionless upon the ground.

"I'm fine, get him out of her reach!" Taylor called over his shoulder, as Sean and Kele raced over to get Mike away from the soldier.

"You've got  _nothing_  left, Jeanine!" Jake snarled, scowling as he ran his eyes over Taylor fearfully, stepping up beside him and grasping his hand firmly; as if to confirm he was truly still alive.

Fiddler slowly got to her feet, her katanas pointing to the floor at her sides. "Nothing..." She muttered, her shoulders shaking, as she was suddenly overtaken by a fit of helpless laughter.  _"Ahahaha!_  Oh, Jake..." She sniggered, a resigned grin twisting her lips as she slowly turned to face them. "You're right... Just like you were right, to get out when you did. Lundgrens only out for himself; always has been." She admitted wistfully, as Jake and Taylor exchanged a nervous glance.

The soldiers bitter expression turns a corner, becoming a malevolent grin as she chuckled darkly. "But  _Rourke..."_  She said, her shoulders sagging in something akin to relief. "He's much,  _much_  worse, sweetie. When he's done with you and your friends, you'll  _wish_  you had nothing left!" She snarled, locking her gaze onto Jake as she sniggered viciously. "But at least, I can take one last thing from you..." She whispered darkly, launching her katana at him suddenly.

Taylor choked, shoving Jake aside quickly as the blade spun through the air towards the spot where the pilot had just been standing, only for Fiddler to collide with him, knocking him towards the chasm's edge with her.  _"No!"_  Jake cried, scrambling to his knees and twisting towards them.

"Not...  _this_  time!" Taylor snarled, digging his hand into a gap at the edge of the cliff, yanking his wrist viciously as he swung across the precipice, Fiddlers added weight almost pulling him down with her regardless. "Just so you know, I'm generally against wasting a life..." He panted, as he heard Jake's frantic footsteps approaching. "But you taunted my pilot... So you can goto hell with Rourke and Lundgren!" He growled, drawing his foot back and driving it into her face, knocking her glasses from her eyes and forcing her to release him. "Do not pass go!" He called as she fell away, staring up at him in surprise. "Do not collect two hundred dollars!" He yelled, watching her body plummet into the vast abyss, becoming smaller and smaller; before fading away entirely.

 _"Taylor!"_  He looked up as Jake grasped his arm tightly, the pilots eyes filled with tears as he reached for him desperately.

"Hi, Top Gun..." Taylor huffed, straining to swing his free hand up into the pilots waiting palm. "What took you so long? I've been hanging around for ages..." He rambled, as Jake choked back a half hysterical chuckle. "Gotta say, the view's good and all, but its not doing anything for me... Can we go home now?"

"Taylor, shut the hell up." Jake demanded, grunting as he strained to pull Taylor back over the chasms edge, having to lay him down awkwardly due to his injured hand. "You talk some fucking stupid shit when you're exhausted." The pilot said, shaking his head as he blew out a deep breath of disbelief, and began working on freeing his stuck hand. "I dunno whether to kiss you or kick your goddamn ass... I am  _so_  beyond pissed at you right now." He growled, scowling as he finally freed Taylors hand and move to laid it gently on his chest, only for Taylor to hiss and wince as he moved. "How could you-"

Taylor forced himself to sit up, cutting the pilot off as he sealed their lips together in a passionate kiss, attempting to convey all the affection and desperation he'd been unable to while Fiddlers hostage. "My vote... is  _always_  for kiss." He said quietly, drawing back briefly, only to lean in and brush his lips over the pilots again.

"I  _ain't_  forgiven ya." Jake promised, his confidence dimming as he grasped the back of Taylors neck and leaned his head down to rest lightly on his shoulder. "Holy fucking shit, Taylor..." The pilot choked, sniffing as Taylors expression twisted with guilt, nuzzling at the top of Jake's head as he wrapped his good arm around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, holding Jake close as the pilot buried his face in Taylors throat. "I'm  _so_  sorry..." He murmured, softly missing whatever part of his pilot he could reach. "Jake,  _mmmf!"_  He hummed in surprise, as the pilots hands rose to his cheeks, his face rising to urgently reconnect their lips. Taylors heart swelled, racing frantically as he toppled backwards, pulling his pilot against him as he arched up towards him. His breath caught, a half whimpered groan escaping him as Jake's demanding kiss consumed him. Heat and desire coiled tightly within his gut, relief swirling through him as Jake's hands ran over him urgently, skimming beneath his top and he assured himself of Taylors safety.

 _"Aghh!"_  He hissed suddenly, as his shoulder wound twisted along with his body, stinging as Jake drew back suddenly in realisation.

"Shit, you're-" the pilot began, only for Taylor to press a finger to his lips to silence him, staring up in affectionate amusement.

"I'm alive..." He said, drawing Jake down to gently brush a kiss to his cheek. "Everything else will heal." He huffed, toying with the ends of the pilots hair, as he yawned widely.

"... Your ass might not, when I'm done kicking it." Jake finally huffed, a tiny curl raising the corner of his lips. Taylor snorted, gazing up at Jake in dazed affection.

"Hmm, I'd much rather it be for another reason..." Taylor said coyly, grinning giddily as Jake hummed and kissed him again gently. "Hmm, and with a  _lot_  more of  _that."_

"Doesn't seem like much of a punishment..." Jake snorted, a small grin finally breaking free despite his best efforts to prevent it. "Hardly gonna deter ya from doing this sorta shit again, is it?"

"See, this is clearly your problem; I told you last night you shouldn't resist." Taylor said smugly, his fingers curling around the pilots dog tags. "You obviously haven't fucked me enough to contain my wild behaviour... You should really remedy that. Starting now."

Jake burst out laughing, and Taylor smiled in relief, watching the fear drain away from his pilots clear eyes at last. "I'll bear that in mind..." Jake snorted affectionately, trailing his finger over Taylors cheek. "But, maybe for when you can actually stay awake." He added gently, as Taylor yawned again.

Taylor hummed in reluctant agreement, looking up as the others approached them cautiously. "Well, I, uh... I don't think she'll be comin' back." Kele hedged awkwardly, peering over the edge of the chasm.

"Psh, good riddance to bad rubbish." Taylor snorted, though his heart twisted with guilt, as he considered his role in her death.

"Goddamn idiot..." Jake sighed, and Taylor glanced at him, thinking for a moment the pilot had heard his thoughts; only to find him staring over the chasm himself, shaking his head sadly. "She might've double crossed me and Mike, but I  _never_  thought she'd do somethin' like this..." He said, shivering as he gripped Taylors hand tightly.

Taylor grimaced, as the four of them stared over the edge of the cliff dazedly, shaken by the realisation he'd almost gone over himself. Kele squinted into the distance, pointing and glancing around them as his eyes widened. "There's a track, running down the slope over there... Might be something helpful."

"Well, let's go check it out then." Taylor said, groaning and holding his injured arm to his chest, as he tried to sit up.

"Aw  _hell_  no," Jake growled, scowling as he quickly got to his feet and helped Taylor up after him.  _"You're_  goin' back to the others to get fixed up, along with Mike." He said, scowling as he gestured to where Sean and Kele had propped the soldier against a tree.

"Top Gun, c'mon, we're right here... Another few minutes isn't gonna hurt either way." Taylor said, rolling his eyes as he took a step towards the track. "You can wait with Mike, if you want..." He added, grinning when Jake scowled and stepped up beside him, eyeing his open wounds dubiously.

"Five minutes, Taylor. I shit you not, any longer and I will carry your goddamn ass back." He said roughly, his hand slipping into Taylors as he scowled petulantly.

"Okay." Taylor agreed easily, his grin turning goofy at Jake's raised brow. "Your idea of five minutes is so screwed, it could still be an hour." He snickered, as Jake snorted despite himself. The pilot rolled his eyes as they walked along the slopes, Sean choosing to wait behind to keep an eye on Mike. They walked in confortable silence, until they arrived at a freight elevator. "Huh... Any chance it's still operational?" He asked, turning to Jake expectantly.

"One way to find out." The pilot said, releasing Taylors hand as he moved forward to brush a layer of snow from a control panel, and pressing a couple of switches.

 _"Whoa!"_  Taylor yelped, wobbling as a loud clanking sounded below them, and the platform began to move.

"Uh, mac?" Kele said nervously, glancing down the chasm below them. "What about the others?" He asked, his eyes wide as he turned back to Jake.

"Hang on..." Jake growled, quickly shutting it down again, as a power gauge on the control panel began to flash red. "Looks like it ain't gonna be able to go very far, anyway."

Taylor stepped up behind the pilot a lopsided grin on his face, as he noticed a switch labeled, Charge PV Module. "Maybe if we give this a try, Top Gun?" He asked innocently, as he flipped the switch and watched with amusement, as a solar panel rose nearby; turning the power gauge orange. "Hmm, look at that..."

"Okay, you are way too smug right now." Jake huffed, nudging his shoulder as he grinned fondly. "Nice going, Boy Scout." He relented, glancing back at the control panel briefly. "Looks like it'll just need a couple hours... Lets head back, get you some rest." He said, leading then back among the trail to where Sean was waiting beside a groggy Mike.

The soldier sighed as he pushed to his feet, rubbing his head tentatively as he looked over at Jake. "Fiddler? Is she..?" He asked, his eyes widening in concern.

"She's  _gone,_  kid." Jake said, shaking his head dejectedly, as Mike blinked. Taylors heart clenched, somehow able to tell that the soldier understood. The two pilots exchanged a private glance, as Taylor looked away, until Mike clapped a hand on his good shoulder.

"So, little Lemming," the soldier said, grinning down at him fondly. "Finally warmin' up to me, huh?" He asked, winking as Taylor blinked up at him in surprise.

He huffed a small chuckle, daintily picking up Mike's hand and dropping it between them with a grin. "Don't count on it, Magic Mike." He sniggered, outright laughing when both pilots groaned and rolled their eyes.

"Ah, gimme time." Mike finally sighed, smirking as he winked cockily. "I'll win ya over yet."

 _"Pfft,_  good luck with that, kid." Jake scoffed, his gaze softening affectionately, as he squeezed Taylors hand. "Boy Scout's even more stubborn then you, ya bastard."

"Hmm, I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Taylor hummed, stifling a yawn as he grinned at Jake and leaned his head on the pilots shoulder.

"You  _would."_  Jake snorted softly, nuzzling his brow affectionately. "C'mon, or your gonna be sleep walkin' back to camp..." He sighed, wrapping his arm around Taylors shoulder and jostling him gently. Taylor grumbled in protest, but began moving with the others as they made their way back through the trees.

The sky cleared to a brilliant blue, as they returned to the group, where they found Michelle crouched beside Quinn. "I'm okay, really." The redhead assured, pouting at Michelle, as the blonde checked her over.

"Quinn, interacting with The Islands Heart is creating a lot of physical strain on you..." Michelle said, shaking her head as her hands fell to her lap, looking at the redhead pleadingly. "We can't have you doing that again, okay?"

"I just... Yeah, understood." Quinn sighed, turning away from Michelle's gaze guiltily, her eyes widening as she caught sight of Taylor. "Holy hell, what the hell happened to  _you?!_  Michelle never mind me, see to  _that_  mess!" She said, as Taylor pouted at her.

"Hey, I'm feeling pretty offended here." He huffed, as Michelle turned to him with a scowl. "Also scared.  _Very_  scared." He whimpered, attempting to duck behind Jake as the blonde stormed over. "Please don't let her get me..." He pleaded, as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Trained soldier with blade at ya neck, and ya fearless..." He scoffed, shaking his head fondly as Michelle ran her eyes over him and heaved a deep sigh.

"Well, lets get him inside." She said finally, gesturing for the pilot to lead the way. "Get his shirt off and I'll get my things and join you in a minute."

"Hmm, can do..." Jake hummed, as Taylor grinned giddily. He eagerly trailed behind Jake to the other cabin, his heart skipping a beat as Jake led him to the bed and sat him down. "Hmm..." The pilot smirked, stepping between Taylors parting legs and reaching for the zip to his top.

"... Jake-" Taylor fell silent as he leaned forward, meeting the pilot as he ducked towards him, drawing down the zip on his top as their lips met.  _"Mmm!"_  He hummed, arching up against the pilot, as his hands slid slowly up his thighs.

Jake eased Taylors shirt from his wounded shoulder carefully, discarding it to the floor quickly, as he leaned forward and pressed Taylor back against the mattress. "You know Maybelline's gonna flip her lid, if she catches me manhandling you like this?" He mumbled, his lips brushing over Taylors cheek briefly, before returning to his lips hungrily.

"Worth it..." Taylor breathed, squirming beneath Jake as he tried to peel the pilots shirt off, his heart racing in hopeful anticipation.  _"Jake-"_  he mumbled urgently, heat pooling in his gut as he attempted to press himself tighter against the pilot, only to wince when he twisted his shoulder awkwardly.

"Taylor..." Jake huffed, drawing back to pant for breath lightly, as his eyes darted to Taylors injuries. "You really are an idiot sometimes... Ya know that, right?" He sighed, curling his hand over Taylors side, as he rolled to the bed beside him.

"Hmm, I like to think I'm just-" Taylor began, only to break off with a laugh at Jake's pointedly raised brow. "Yeah okay, I'll give you that one." He huffed, shifting closer into the pilots embrace. "I'll try to work on that..." He mumbled, as Jake scoffed and held him close.

The pilot was about to respond, when Michelle moved into the cabin and strolled over to them with a glare, dumping her bag on the bed beside them. "I'm going to assume this is only cuddling, and let it slide; if only because Jake just went through hell, and I sympathize." She said, raising a brow at their intimate positions.

"Despite my best efforts..." Taylor groused, rolling back and pushing himself upright, as he pouted up at her. "And what do you mean, what  _he_  went through? What about  _me?"_  He demanded petulantly, though he grasped Jake's hands tightly as the pilot sat up beside him.

"You're an idiot." Michelle said flatly, grabbing her poultice from her bag and unscrewing the top. "Just so you know, this is probably gonna sting like hell." She warned, dipping her fingers into the pot and smearing a long line of poultice across the deepest wound without hesitation.

 _"Aaahh!"_  Taylor yelped, grimacing as he tried not to squirm away. "No shit..." He gasped, closing his eyes as Michelle spread the poultice over his wounds and carefully checked him over for anything she might have missed.

"... Okay." She sighed, after several tense minutes of application. "That should do you. Now you just need to work on not being an idiot, so I don't have to do this again." She said, winking at Jake as the pilot snorted in amusement, his fingers lacing with Taylors affectionately.

The blonde tentatively picked up Taylors injured hand, applying some poultice before carefully bandaging it and applying a sling for good measure. "Taylor... You got  _real_  lucky. Please, don't be so stubborn again." She sighed finally, gently bumping her fist to his jaw, before packing her things and grabbing her bag from the bed. "Now, get some rest." She said, turning and leaving the cabin quietly, closing the door behind her.

"I was expecting more scolding..." Taylor said slowly, glancing at Jake, as the pilot smirked and looked down at their linked hands. "Why wasn't there more scolding?" He asked nervously.

"Think mostly they're just too relieved ya ain't dead." Jake said quietly, tracing Taylors fingers lightly. "Give 'em time." He huffed, falling back to the bed dramatically. "C'mere." He said, as Taylor grinned and laid down beside him, curling into the pilots side. He hummed contently, his fingers slipping beneath Jake's shirt unsubtly, tracing the firm planes of his stomach as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax.

He opened his eyes, to find Fiddler grinning at him maliciously, and he gasped as she lunged at him with her katana.  _"Aah!"_  He cried, attempting to roll away, only for Fiddler to grip his leg tightly and drag him back to the bed.

"Hold still, pup..." Fiddler sneered, leaning over his back and pinning him to the bed. "We're gonna play a new game. It's called, 'how much of you can I slice off, before the Wolf gets back from checkin' on his bestie'?" She whispered, chuckling in his ear gleefully.

"How 'bout you just get offa me and I kick your ass again instead?" He growled, turning his face against the mattress to glare at her with one eye. "I'll go a darn sight easier on you, than what Jake will when he gets back..."

"Aw, sweetie..." Fiddler cackled spitefully, pressing her katana to his shoulder and slowly sinking it into his flesh as he growled against the pain. "You're assuming he'll  _be_  back." She laughed, leaving her katana lodged in his shoulder as she shifted back, effectively pinning him to the bed.

"He  _will."_  Taylor growled, grimacing as his shoulder ached, stinging with pain.

"You're right, pup, he probably will be." Fiddler said lightly, tracing her second katana along the back of his shoulder as Taylor gasped, his hand clenching to a tight fist at the pain which consumed him. "But not in time to save you this time." She sneered, laughing as Taylor cried out, her second blade driving into his chest.

Taylor gasped, his face pressed tight against the mattress as his eyes snapped open wide, his heart hammering as he scrambled to free himself from the heavy weight over his back.  _"Arghh!"_  He choked, rolling straight off the side of the bed to land in a panting heap of limbs, the duvet jumbled on the bed from where it had tangled around him. "Oh, holy  _fuck..."_  He choked, closing his eyes and falling limp, as his heart crashed painfully in his chest.

He ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair, blowing out a deep breath, as he opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling.  _No more trauma before sleeping... Next time, we are having so much sex_. He thought with a huff, groaning as he pulled himself up to the edge of the bed, just as the door swung open.

"Boy Scout?" Jake called, his brows furrowing as his eyes settled on the empty bed, and raising in amusement, as he spotted Taylor peeked over the side. "Do I even wanna ask?" He snickered, as Taylor pouted and groaned, clambering to his feet unsteadily.

"No... No, not really." He huffed, shaking his head as he stumbled around the bed and moved over to the pilot. "Just uh... Can we get outta here for a bit?" He said, gripping the pilots hand briefly, before stepping into the small bathroom.

"Don't ya wanna sleep some more?" Jake asked, leaning in the doorway and watching with a frown, as Taylor washed his face and neck carefully. "Ya barely been out an hour-"

"Yeah, I'm sure..." Taylor said quickly, tentatively cleaning Michelle's poultice from his various wounds, before turning towards Jake with a crooked grin. "Sleep and I are  _so_  done right now." He huffed, walking over to Jake and slipping his arms around his waist, as the pilot eyed the pink marks still marring his skin dubiously.

Taylor hummed and brushed his lips over the pilots stubble affectionately, slowly trailing along his jaw. He raised his eyes to Jake's, tipping his head back as the pilot moved to meet his lips, scowling when Taylor continued to lightly dodge away. He giggled wickedly at the pilots rising frustration, before finally relenting and melting into a soft kiss.

"You're tryin' to distract me..." Jake accused, his lips brushing across Taylors jaw to his throat, lavishing the area with affection and attention.

"Is it working?" Taylor sniggered, his hands ghosting over the pilots sides, and curling into his waistband.

"Hmm," Jake hummed, raising his head briefly to feign a thoughtful expression. "Gimme five minutes, and I'll let you know..." He said, causing Taylors heart to swell with affection, as he laughed and sank into another deep kiss.

"Hey,  _no..."_  He finally chuckled, pulling away with puffy lips and his dark eyes glinting with amusement, desire and mischief alike. "Every time I get my hopes up lately, you leave me all...  _needy."_  He pouted, swatting the pilots shoulder as he laughed, pushing past him to find his jacket. "I'm not gonna let you get me all hot under the collar, just to leave me hangin' again!" He said, grinning at the pilots lazy smirk as he plastered himself to Taylors back and returned his attention to his throat.

"Then don't put ya jacket on." He said as he teased the flesh softly, humming in interest as Taylor shivered and tipped his head to allow him more room. "You'll have no collar to worry about then..." He added, huffing in frustration as Taylor sniggered and wriggled free of his grasp.

"I don't trust you'll follow through." He said, as Jake raised a brow and stepped closer.

"You doubtin' my ability to perform, Boy Scout?" He demanded, backing Taylor up to the wall as he sniggered and swung his jacket over his shoulders quickly.

"Absolutely not." Taylor said, reaching for the pilots dog tags and toying with them fondly. "I have zero complaints or doubts about your actual performance; only the likelihood of someone walking in or you making me rest." He snorted, as Jake broke out in a fond grin.

"You're really outta sorts about last night, ain't ya?" He said, as Taylor huffed and ducked to the side quickly to free himself of the pilots caging arms.

"I'm not going to dignify such a ridiculous accusation with an answer." He said lightly, laughing as Jake spun around quickly and grabbed for him, pulling him back into his arms.  _"Jaaaake..!"_  He huffed, groaning as the pilot began to work on undoing his jacket, his lips reattaching to his throat. "No,  _baaad,_  Top Gun... Don't do the thing-  _nnh!"_  He gasped, his hands curling into the pilots jacket as Jake grazed his teeth slowly over Taylors pulse point, eliciting a shiver from deep within his spine. He groaned as Jake pushed off the wall, his hands seeming to roam everywhere at once, as Taylors body flushed with heat and desire. "Mmm, bad,  _bad_  man..." Taylor mumbled, as Jake captured his lips, before they tumbled to the bed together.

"Jake..." Taylor gasped, his hands curling into the pilots hair, as he urged him closer; arching against the pilot pleadingly. He groaned, biting his lip as Jake drew back and gazed down at him intently, watching his reaction as the pilots hand palmed at his rapidly swelling arousal. "If you stop again, so  _help_  me..." Taylor groaned, thrusting his hips up against Jake's hand as he stared into the pilots clear eyes urgently. "I will make our first year of marriage utterly goddamn  _celibate."_  He threatened, his jaw slackening as heat pooled in his gut, his eyes finally fluttering closed briefly.

"... Say it again." Jake muttered quietly, his eyes suddenly blazing with his own desire, as Taylor looked back up at him.

"Uh, I'll make you be celibate-?" Taylor hedged uncertainly, hissing as Jake squeezed his rapidly growing erection.

"You are  _such_  an idiot... No." The pilot said, leaning closer to skim his lips over Taylors teasingly. "Marriage...  _Our_  first year, of marriage." The pilot said, his body lowering to Taylors as he rocked against him, drawing a pleading cry from him, as his grip on the pilot tightened.

"First year, second year, fuck I'll say whatever bloody year you want; just don't sto-" Taylors babbles cut off abruptly as Jake kissed him fiercely, his hand delving beneath Taylors trousers and drawing a loud cry of yearning from him. Taylors thoughts stumbled together blindly, lost to the haze of lust which clouded him at Jake's touches.

Jake hummed deep in his throat, his kiss demanding as Taylor squirmed beneath him, arching against him desperately as the pilots palm squeezed and stroked over his hardening flesh. Taylors heart raced, slamming against his ribs rapidly as his body flared with waves of heat and arousal.

"Oh my god, why,  _why_  is it always me?!" Diego's sharp cry caused Jake to pause, as Taylor groaned in denial and fell limp against the bed.

"Why, why,  _why_  is it always you; right when things get promising!?" Taylor complained in distress, raising a hand to his hair as Jake peeked back over his shoulder.

"Any chance ya can come back in five minutes, Short Stuff?" The pilot asked, his hand gently squeezing Taylors arousal, where it was safely hidden from Diego's view.

"Any chance you can come back in five  _hours?"_  Taylor corrected scathingly, scowling at the ceiling as he bit his lip, heavy tears of frustration stinging in his eyes. "Or better yet,  _not at all_?"

"Okay, this attitude is not good for you, my friend. You need to relax." Diego sniffed, folding his arms over his chest as Taylor finally glared over at him.

"That's just what I was about to do." He growled, groaning as he heard footsteps approach them, before another cheerful face appeared beside Diego's. "Oh, holy fucking hell, there's two of them..." He whined, throwing his arm over his eyes in defeat, as Quinn flushed a violent shade of red.

"Um... are we interrupting?" She asked, as Taylor snorted spitefully, and Jake sniggered at him. "The uh, the door was open..."

"Okay, everybody out." Taylor demanded, scowling as he lowered his arm, jabbing his smirking pilot in the chest with an accusing finger. "That includes  _you,_  Top Gun."

 _"What?!"_  Jake cried, as Taylor rolled free of him, his hand slipping from his arousal as Taylor faced away from them all with a stiff back. "C'mon, Boy Scout; this is just a,  _minor_  set back. I am more than ready to-"

 _"You_  left the damn door open,  _you_  can suck it up." Taylor groused, shaking his head in disbelief of his own bad luck.

"Well, if that's all ya want then it's fine by me, but at least let these guys clear out firs-" Jake began smugly, as Taylors shoulders shook with amusement.

"Out!" He cried, turning and scowling at them all fiercely. "Out, out,  _out!"_  He demanded, groaning in frustration as they quickly left, and flopping back to the bed dramatically. "Vaanu hates me..." He sighed petulantly, listening to his own blood rushing in his ears, as his pulse slowly returned to normal. He stared at the ceiling dejectedly, allowing the heat in his body to dissipate, before finally sighing and pushing himself up from the bed; strolling outside to find the others all waiting for him.

"Taylor," Michelle said, moving closer to check him over. "How're you feeling?" She asked, receiving a derisive snort in reply.

"He's a little frustrated..." Diego whispered loudly, grinning unashamedly as Taylor turned to scowl at him.

"I hate you  _so_  much." He muttered darkly, as Quinn giggled, and Michelle stepped away; satisfied with his healing progress.

"Love you too, buddy." Diego sniggered, as Taylor rolled his eyes and looked away. "So, now sleeping beauty is awake and suitably grumpy," he said, laughing when Taylor offered a middle finger salute for his playful jibe. "What do we wanna do now?" He asked slowly, causing Taylor to raise a brow at his leading tone of voice.

Jake cleared his throat loudly as he looked around the others briefly, before glancing up at the suns position; which was still lower in the sky than Taylor had expected. "Well, ya know we got something that'll get us down into the chasm... But, it'll still be some time before it's ready, though..." He said, grinning as the group began exchanging excited glances, much to Taylors confusion and consternation.

"Alright, everyone..." Sean said, winking across the group at Diego when he thought Taylor wasn't looking. "We don't know what we're going to find down there. Whatever Vaanu is, it hasn't always been friendly..." He said slowly, as Taylor frowned at his oddly rehearsed tone.

"The Exorcist crossed with Godzilla?" Diego snorted quickly, shaking his head as he glanced over at Craig. "Yeah, not what I'd call friend material."

"But," Craig said, glancing at Zahra, before looking towards Michelle with a wide grin. "We gotta get the Heart back to it, if we're going to set things right, bros."

"This could be the end of all the phenomena affecting the world..." Grace gasped, her eyes wide as she looked over at Craig uncertainly.

"Or, the end of us." Aleister added ominously, drawing Grace's hand to his lips as she looked up at him.

"That  _won't_  happen." Taylor said firmly, frowning around them all as he felt oddly lost at sea amid their conversation.

"Let's just, try to prepare as best we can." Sean said, ignoring Taylors interjection and causing him to roll his eyes. "This is our home stretch." He said, gazing among the group, before nodding resolutely and heading towards the first cabin, leaving everyone to disperse in his wake.

Taylor frowned, turning to follow Jake back to the cabin when Diego bounded over to him, trying unsuccessfully to hide a grin spreading across his face. "So, uh, Taylor..." He said, clearing his throat as Taylor raised a brow at him. "Wanna... take a walk?" He asked hopefully, ignoring the flat scowl of disinterest he received.  _"Pleeease?_  Best buddy asking here, Hector would ask too if he could..."

"Sometimes, you disturb me on  _so_  many levels..." Taylor finally sighed, shaking his head as he huffed, unable to stay mad at his friend after such a display. "Are you gonna tell me why everyone's being so weird?" He asked, raising a brow as Diego scoffed.

 _"Weird?_  Who's being  _weird?"_  He hedged, as Taylors other brow rose to join the first. "Psh,  _you're_  the weird one. They're reacting to you and the whole... sexual frustration thing, you've got going on-"

"And,  _who's_  fault is that, again?" Taylor grumbled, nudging his friend in the arm with slightly more force than necessary, as they ambled into the woods.

 _"Ahem..!"_  Diego coughed loudly, clearing his throat as Taylor snickered. "So...  _Fiancé,_  huh?" He asked, as Taylor tripped on a tree root, his cheeks flaring with a sudden rush of heat.

"Uh..." Taylor hedged awkwardly, looking down at the path as his cheeks continued to burn. "You uh, heard that earlier did you? Or uh, has Jake been running his mouth?" He asked, chuckling as he bit his lip and glanced at his friend.

 _"Both."_  Diego said, as Taylor snorted and shook his head fondly. "But I guessed, or... hoped, when he mentioned what he wanted last night." He added, as Taylor frowned, pausing among the trees.

"About that," he said, looking at his friend seriously. "Did you uh, did you say anything to him? About-"

"Not a word has passed my lips." Diego said, huffing in feigned offense. "As if I would."

"Diego," Taylor said pleadingly, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. "Please... I don't want anything to have swayed him." He said, as Diego broke out in a fond grin.

"Trust me, dude... This is  _all_  Jake." He said, clapping Taylor on the shoulder fondly, before he frowned in confusion. "So, how are you gonna-?"

"I have no idea." Taylor huffed, shrugging his shoulders as they began to dawdle through the snow again. "For all I know, he'll be gone before we can ever..." He began, hesitating as he swallowed heavily. "But, the fact he even wants to... Means more than I can say."

"Man, you must've been  _so_  surprised..." Diego sniggered, laughing when Taylor grimaced guiltily. "Oh,  _that's_  a face which says you did something stupid."

"I...  _may_  have reacted badly." He admitted, scowling when Diego began to laugh at him. "Hey, I was concerned okay, I did not want this whole thing to be some sham, pity... thing." He said, scowling at Diego petulantly.

"Dude, you should know by now..." Diego huffed, shaking his head fondly. "Jake  _never_  does anything he doesn't wanna."

"Oh, he  _does."_  Taylor assured fondly, grinning lopsidedly as he thought of his pilot, warmth spreading through him as it radiated from his heart.

"Name one time, Jake has  _ever_  done something he did not wanna do." Diego scoffed, his gaze amused as he peeked over at Taylor.

"Well, he left the cabin earlier." Taylor sniggered, as Diego's smug expression dissolved into a grimace. "Fairly certain he was  _not_  pleased about that... Not that I was either. Thankyou very much Mr. can't knock, wont knock." He added with a lighthearted scowl.

Diego opened his mouth to respond, when a loud whistle cut through the air sharply, and he broke out in a huge grin instead.  _"Ahem!_  So, uh, Taylor..." He hedged, pausing as he turned them down a different path. "I've got something to show you."

Taylor sighed in mock exasperation, rolling his eyes at his friends obviously barely concealed excitement. "What is it  _this_  time?" He asked, grinning back in amusement despite his best efforts.

"This way, please." Diego said, coughing as he bowed and led the way down the new path, while Taylor followed him through the snowy forest dubiously.

"Why do I feel so suspicious of you right now?" Taylor asked, ducking a low branch, as Diego sniggered.

"Because you're a suspicious assbutt by nature." Diego snorted, as he held another branch aside, allowing Taylor to break free of the forest. His eyes widened in silent wonder, as he found himself looking down at a frozen pond. As they approached, Taylor saw several of his friends on the ice, wearing parkas and ice skates, as they waited for them with wide grins.

Taylor felt his heart leap into his throat, as Jake glided slowly across the pond to stop in front of him at the edge of the pond.  _"Surprise,_  Boy Scout!" He said, his eyes filled with joy and affection as Taylor giggled nervously, and clapped a hand over his mouth, and stared back in wide eyed surprise.

"I don't know how Diego talked me into putting these things on," Sean said, beaming a wide grin over at him, as he stood uncertainly on the ice. "But, here I am." He said, as Taylors eyes finally broke free of his pilots, turning to gaze at the athlete in shocked wonder.

He startled, as Michelle came out of a flawless double axel, and waved over to him. "Taylor, get out here!" She called, as she twirled effortlessly across the ice. "I wanna skate with you!" She giggled, skidding to a graceful stop with her hands on her hips. "You know, have some fun, as opposed to having to patching you up for once!"

Taylor snorted and turned again, peering around Jake as he heard Quinn cheer happily, catching aight of her as she traced figure eights across the ice.  _"Hooray!_  The guest of honour has arrived!" She giggled, as Taylor shook his head slowly and stepped back, his wide eyes stinging with the threat of tears.

"It's not much, but we did what we could." Estela said, beaming over at him fondly, as she glided past confidently.

He swallowed thickly, looking off to one side, where he spotted Raj, standing behind a makeshift stall with steaming cups at the ready. "What sounds good, Taylor?" The large boy called, a huge grin lighting his face. "I got coffee, chai, hot chocolate... Plus a little somethin'-somethin' I picked out, just for  _you!"_

Taylor laughed in disbelief, his heart racing as it swelled with affection for his friends. His gaze drifted to Craig, crouching next to a boombox near Raj's stall. "Yo, I'm ready to drop a phat beat when you say the word, Taylor!" He called, as Zahra draped herself over his shoulders, the pair sporting matching eager grins.

"I'm on visuals." Zahra said, flicking a switch on a projector. Coloured light washed across the area, casting everything in vivid, slowly changing hues.

Taylor snorted, swallowing thickly as he finally lowered his hand to reveal a slowly growing grin. His eyes rose to where Grace sat atop a small mound of snow, with a small pile of score cards. "I'll be your judge for the mornings competition..." She giggled, waggling her finger at him warningly. "Don't get cocky, the numbers don't lie!"

Mike, Kele and Aleister sat a short distance from her, and raised a hand as the pale boy smiled serenely. "Just here to observe." He called, as the three of them reclined against the hill and looked down at the frozen pond in amused anticipation.

Taylor gazed around in astonishment, his heart lurching as he gazed around at the adoring faces in disbelief. "Where did you guys..." He began, before choking off as they all laughed at his obvious bashfulness.  _"How..?"_  He tried again, turning to Diego with accusing wide eyes.

"We found a bunch of stuff in the cabins while you guys were..." Diego explained, trailing off to a shrug, as he avoided mentioning Fiddler. His enormous grin faltered for a moment, and he stepped closer to Taylor, taking his hand as he smiled at him fondly. "Everyone's grown pretty close to you, since we got to La Huerta... You've guided us through everything, and we wanted to do something special... So, we decided to throw a surprise party!" He explained, offering him a pair of skates.

Taylor hesitated, staring at the skates in awe, before looking around the gathered faces once more. "I..."

"Taylor..." Quinn said, skating over to stop beside Jake, who was gazing at him worriedly. "We know there's been some especially hard moments for you lately... But you haven't let that stop you from helping us, when we were at our lowest." She said, squeezing Jake's arm gently, as the pilot watched Taylor intently and swallowed thickly. "We just, wanted to show you how much you mean to us... To  _all_  of us." She said, biting her lip as her eyes conveyed her sincerity.

Taylor took a deep breath, trying to steady the rush of emotions he felt from his friends display of affection for him, his heart almost fit to burst from the love and contentment he felt towards them."... You  _guys..."_  He choked, laughing as he wiped his eyes quickly and grabbed the skates from Diego.

 _"Alright!"_  Diego cheered, as Taylor sniffed and slipped off his shoes. " _It's on, guys!_ " He called, as Quinn cheered and skated away, leaving Jake to watch him nervously as Taylor hurried to lace his skates.

"Did somebody say...  _Party tunes_?!" Craig demanded, as he cranked the boombox volume all the way up, filling the frozen glade with upbeat music which Taylor felt certain he'd somehow stolen from the Anachronists.

"What do you wanna do first, Taylor?" Diego asked, grinning as Taylor hopped to his feet with a grin, rubbing his eyes again.

"I don't think my choice of response is gonna be appreciated, so let's go see Raj; and then we can hit the ice... You know, once I can see again." He huffed, grinning widely as he and Diego clomped over to Raj's stall in their skates, while Jake skated away with Estela, content that Taylor was alright.

"Welcome to the BhandarBar, dudes!" He cried, grinning broadly as he gestured to his small hand made sign. "How 'bout two hot cocoas, with a little extra  _zing?"_  He suggested, winking as Diego laughed.

"Sounds good!" Taylor chuckled, his cheeks hurting from the wide grin on his face, though he was unable to control it. "Hook us up!"

Raj began pouring liqueur into delicious looking hot chocolate drinks, glancing up at them almost nervously. "Taylor, I gotta tell you..." He said hesitantly, pausing as he dusted the drinks with something which looked like glitter. "Most people think I'm kinda crazy. Everybody just sees some stoner dude, who's always tripping..." He said quietly, looking back at Taylor with a wide and grateful smile. "But you never once made me feel anything but  _respected."_

"Aw, Raj..." Taylor sniffed, laughing as he scrubbed at his eyes again, his vision blurring afresh.

"Thankyou for that." Raj said firmly, pressing the hot chocolate into Taylors hand, before giving another to Diego. "And, when we finally get off this island; I'mma show you what a real party looks like!" The large boy cheered gleefully.

Taylors shoulders tensed, though he was pleased when his smile never faltered. He beamed at Raj, his eyes stinging for an entirely nee reason, as his throat constricted painfully. "Its a deal!" He choked, taking a sip of his drink as Raj turned to busy himself preparing other drinks for the rest of their friends.

Taylor took a deep breath, glancing at Diego, who purposely avoided meeting his eyes; silently allowing him a pass for the party at least, much to Taylors great appreciation. "Come on, assbutt." He coughed, setting his drink down in the snow with Diego's, as they headed out onto the ice.

They stepped onto the frozen pond, carefully balancing atop their skates, as they both tried to do their best at pirouettes. "Haha, you look good, Taylor!" Diego conceded, laughing as he struggled to stay upright. "But I look like Muppets on ice..."

"Mind if I borrow him?" Michelle asked, cutting between them gracefully and skating around Taylor with a grin.

"All yours." Diego sniggered, beaming as he wobbled his way to the edge of the ice, where Varyyn was waiting with a wide grin.

Michelle took Taylors hand and lead him further out onto the ice. "Um, you know, actually..." Taylor hedged, eyeing Michelle's effortless movements nervously. "I don't know if I'm all that good at this."

"Don't worry." Michelle said, winking at him conspiratorially. "I've got us covered." She said, as they built up speed together, until suddenly; she hoisted herself up into his arms, holding his hands firmly on her waist.

 _"Wha-?!"_  Taylor choked, his eyes wide as the blonde laughed and glided through the air in his arms. The wind rushed through her hair, and Taylor laughed in exhilaration at Michelle's wistful expression. "This is  _amazing!"_  He called, as Michelle carefully lowered herself back down.

"I knew you'd trust me, Taylor." She said, drawing him into a tight hug as Jake came skating over.

"Hey, hey," he groused, shooing the blonde out of Taylors arms, as the pair laughed at his sour expression. "No one manhandles my Boy Scout but me." He said, slipping his hand into Taylors.

"You've seemed to do nothing but get out of manhandling me, just lately." Taylor pouted, as Jake raised his hand to his lips, and kissed his fingers; his clear eyes locking onto Taylors intently.

"I can promise ya right now, I'll not let a  _damn_  thing stop me again." He said, as Taylor dissolved into giggles and allowed himself to be pulled closer to the pilot, sharing a soft but passionate kiss with the pilot.

"Hmm, I  _might_  forgive you." Taylor hummed, resting his head to the pilots as he bit his lip coyly. "But, it might take a  _lot_  more of  _that."_  He said, as Jake wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Can do." He promised, his cerulean eyes smouldering with intent, as Taylor straightened. "Now, how about-"

"A race?!" Taylor asked eagerly, laughing when Jake narrowed his eyes at him.

"Alright, but fair warning..." Jake said, raising a finger and whacking him on the nose. "I'm not gonna let ya win, just because I love you... And, I'm  _not_  gonna let you cheat!" He said firmly, as Taylor grinned lopsidedly.

They lunged forward together, gliding over the ice as fast as they could. Taylor pulled into the lead, only for Jake to grab ahold of his hand, sending them both in wild circles.  _"Hey!"_  Taylor laughed, as Jake put on the brakes, and they came to a stop.

"Hey, I never said I wouldn't cheat for once..." Jake sniggered, his eyes alight with restless energy as he bounced on his skates lightly. "Hey Boy Scout... May I have this dance?" He asked suddenly, as Taylors brows rose in surprise.

"I thought you didn't dance..." He teased, grinning widely as Jake rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, I'm practicing." The pilot scoffed, his cheeks dusting with pink as he looked down at their joined hands and bit his lip.

"Aw, Top Gun..." Taylor giggled, lightly brushing his thumb over the back of the pilots hand. "Well, in that case, I don't see why not..." He said, as Jake broke out in a radiant grin and led Taylor in a gentle glide to the center of the pond. "Where are you taking me?" Taylor laughed, as Jake finally skidded to a stop and turned to face him.

 _"Funkytown."_  Jake said, dropping Taylors hand as he began snapping his fingers and shaking his slim hips.

Taylor burst out laughing, a huge grin on his face as he gazed at his pilot adoringly.  _"Jaaaake!"_  He giggled.

The pilot stopped mid snap, looking at Taylor in similar adoration. "What can I say, Boy Scout?" He said, stepping closer and curling his hands around his waist as he sighed contently. "You make me wanna do crazy things."

"Well this is one crazy thing you should  _not_  do again." Taylor sniggered, as Jake rolled his eyes. "Wow, I always wondered why you didn't dance, but-" he was forced to shut up by Jake's lips pressing insistently against his own, though he still giggled in amusement.

As he drew back, he saw movement over on the snowy bank, and he looked over to see Grace hold up a card with a large number eight on it. "Eight?" Jake scoffed, feigning an affronted scowl at the dark skinned girl.  _"Really?"_

 _"Whoa,_  that's better than I expected." Diego said, his eyes wide as he skated over and stared at Jake in disbelief.

"An eight?!" Michelle cried in disbelief, scowling as she joined them. "Grace, are you  _kidding me?!"_  She demanded hotly, folding her arms over her chest.

Grace turned the eight card on its side, before flipping it over to reveal a handwritten message. We love Taylor to Infinity! He read, his huge grin turning goofy, as Grace beamed down at him fondly.

"Alright!" Craig called, as their group dissolved into giggles. "I think it's time for a throwback..." He said, hitting play on the boom box's second deck. "This one's dedicated to my bro of bros, Taylor!" He said, beaming a proud grin, as he bumped the air with his fist; and Taylor mimicked his gesture with a snigger. His brow rose in curiosity, as he noticed Zahra fiddling with her projector just beside the jock.

"Hey, Taylor!" She called, beaming a cocky grin over as she noticed him watching her. "I designed this just for you. Hope, uh, you like it... or, whatever." She said, clearing her throat as her cheeks darkened with a blush. She flipped a switch, and Taylor gasped when suddenly, the slopes were covered with spiralling shapes, creating a mesmerizing display.

"It's my Hadean star sign!" Taylor choked, his eyes wide in awe as he stared around them, transfixed by the effort his friends had put into the party. "Aw, Snape..."

"Yup... but whatever gush you're about to say, don't." Zahra said quickly, smirking at him as she winked.

Taylor jumped, caught unawares as he stared at the amazing display painted across the landscape, as Sean came to a stop next to him. "Come with me, Taylor?" He asked, as Jake tightened his grip on Taylors hand briefly, much to his amusement.

He rolled his eyes, as he freed his hand from the pilots and crossed the ice with Sean, as the rising sun made it sparkle like diamonds. "So," Sean said, turning towards Taylor and grinding to a halt suddenly, once they were a safe distance from Jake. "What's it feel like to be my hero?" The athlete asked, grinning as Taylor balked and choked.

 _"Your_  hero?!" He yelped, his eyes wide as he stared at Sean in disbelief, while the athlete merely smiled wistfully and shook his head.

"Taylor, you're one of the most inspiring people I've ever met." Seam admitted quietly, his eyes softening as he peered down at him. "No joke." He said, as Taylor squirmed, his stomach clenching in awkward discomfort. "Calm, confident, unstoppable... Man. I crack, all the time, but you  _never_  do. What's your secret?"

"I think you've just missed the moments where I've been at my worst." Taylor hedged darkly, shaking his head as he considered for a moment. "But, I suppose... More than anything, its for the people I have in my life. You guys, you mean everything to me..."

Sean snorted softly, shaking his head as he gazed down at Taylor fondly. "See?" He said quietly, his smile growing wider as he laid his hand gently on Taylors shoulder. "There you go, saying things like that... and I can't help but like you even more."

"Um..." Taylor coughed, his cheeks staining with red, as he bit his lip nervously. "That's...  _nice..."_  He said awkwardly, as Sean began to laugh.

"Taylor you look so far beyond uncomfortable right now." The athlete chuckled, clapping Taylors shoulder briefly, before withdrawing his hand entirely. "Don't get me wrong, a part of me is jealous as hell of Jake right now... But, I know how you feel. This is entirely friendly, Taylor. No, uh, expectations." He snorted, as Taylor sagged in obvious relief. "Besides, I have my work cut out already... Winning back what I messed up." The athlete admitted quietly, glancing over to where Michelle was pirouetting expertly before the others.

"Have you tried, I dunno... Kissing her?" Taylor offered, grinning now his awkwardness had passed. "I find when Jake kisses me, I always feel  _much_  better."

"Taylor, I think I might need to make a bit more effort than that here..." Sean said, sighing as he watched Michelle thoughtfully. "I didn't exactly treat her too kindly."

"So...  _Lots_  of kisses?" Taylor asked, his brow furrowing in confusion, as Sean began to laugh again. "What? I mean it... What more do you need, really?" He asked, as Sean hummed in consideration.

Before the athlete could debate Taylors questionable advise any further, Quinn skated over, smiling around them all shyly. "I've always wanted to try this..." She said quietly, before calling over louder. "Everybody, join hands!" She giggled, as everyone rushed over and linked hands obediently, creating a long chain across the ice; facing opposite directions on either side of her, as she stood in the middle.

"Okay, now, people on the ends! Start going in big circles!" She ordered, giggling wildly as Estela and Michelle set off in across the ice carefully.

Everyone was slowly spun around like the hands of a clock, while Quinn giggled gleefully. "Haha..." Diego sniggered, grinning broadly as he began to wobble. "I'm getting...  _dizzy!"_  He warned, before tumbling harmlessly to the ice, starting a domino effect.

 _"Whoa!"_  Jake cried, scrabbling to try and keep his feet beneath him. "Whoa, whoa...  _whoa!"_  He choked, tripping over Diego to land in a heap, as Taylor snorted and laughed.

 _"Wait!"_  Estela gasped, as the others collapsed, her feet clattering frantically as she tried to stabilize herself. "I'm going to-" she choked, before tumbling down harmlessly herself.

 _"Oof!"_  Quinn huffed, tumbling down atop the others, only to jump back up quickly. "That was  _so_  much fun!" She gasped, giggling joyfully.

"Alright, guys, I think it's time we give the ice a rest." Diego chuckled, as everyone cautiously climbed back to their feet, before returning to the bank of the pond.

Taylor sat down and began unlacing his skates, when Estela crouched in front of his feet. "Allow me?" She asked, beaming a wide grin at him.

"Hey, hey!" Jake groused, eyeing her suspiciously. "What the hell is this kinda tomfoolery?" He demanded, as Estela rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Shut up, McKenzie." She snarked, throwing him a withering glare. "Nobody is about to try and steal your fiancé." She sighed, shaking her head as the pilot continued to grumble under his breath.

"Did you leave  _anyone_  for me to tell?" Taylor asked in amusement, as he peered over at Jake, who's cheeks darkened further guiltily. "Or could you just not contain yourself?"

"Not to interrupt your moment or anything, 'cause its not like you don't already know the answer..." Estela coughed, pointedly drawing Taylors attention back to his feet.

"Huh?  _Oh!"_  He sniggered, smiling at Jake's obvious flustered state. "Sure, I guess..." He said, shrugging his shoulders as he raised a brow at her.

Estela made quick work of removing his first skate, taking his right foot in her hands and kneading out the tension. "My tio used always used to give me foot rubs..." She explained, grinning broadly as she glanced up at him. "He was a little rougher than this, though."

"Just like that feels great." Taylor said, his eyes wide as he stared down at the dark haired girls hands as she removed his other skate and moved onto his left foot. Soon, he was feeling more relaxed than ever, and grinned as her dark eyes met his earnestly.

"When we first arrived on La Huerta, everyone had concerns about me." She said slowly, massaging his foot similarly to the first. "I'd come here for something very different, and it scared them. But you and I, always seemed to understand each other." She said, as a small smile began to curve her lips. "You never mistrusted me, never had doubts... Taylor,  _thank you._ " She said, stopping abruptly as her eyes filled with the threatening glisten of tears suddenly. "I would have forgotten my own humanity, if it weren't for your kind, open nature."

"Estela," he said quietly, shutting his feet and pulling her into a loose hug. "You're my friend. That's all that matters to me."

"... Yes." Estela choked, drawing back as Aleister walked over to join them with Kele, Mike, and Grace; while Raj, Craig and Zahra approached from the other direction.

"That was amazing!" The pale boy enthused warmly, clapping Taylor on the shoulder affectionately, as he hopped to his feet and slipped his shoes on.

"Can't believe you let Grandpa beat ya, Lemming." Mike said, shaking his head in feigned disappointment.

 _"Pfft,_  he never beats me." Taylor rebuffed, looking down at the floor as he bit his lip. "I wasn't even trying this time..."

"What he means is,  _he_  always cheats." Jake translated, as Taylor snorted at the ground in guilty amusement. "And this time, I didn't let him... Though  _obviously,_  I always beat him anyway." He added, as Taylor shook his head fondly.

Taylor swallowed heavily, trying to control the rising tide of emotion in his heart. He looked up, gazing at the exuberant faces all around him, and found himself utterly unable to wipe the smile from his face. "Thankyou all,  _so_  much for this." He said, sighing contently, as he locked the entire memory and everything he felt with it, deep inside his heart; to cherish, after they'd all returned home. "This... Aleister's right. This was just  _amazing..."_  He said, wiping his damp eyes on the back of his sleeve as he laughed.

"Our pleasure, Taylor." Diego said, his hand coming to rest on Taylors shoulder, as the others crowded around them. "You deserve it." He added warmly.

"I guess..." Taylor sighed, looking down, to find Jake's hand slipping into his, the pilots fingers lacing naturally with his own. "We should probably be getting back, though..." He said reluctantly, wanting nothing more than to remain with his friends.

Everyone moved away to gather up their stuff, as Jake waited patiently with Taylor, watching him intently. "I know it weren't the party ya were hopin' for, but uh-" the pilot began awkwardly, only for Taylor to laugh and shake his head.

"Stop worrying Top Gun, I forgive you." He sniggered, as Jake visibly sagged in relief. "But I expect an uninterrupted, private party tonight." He said coyly, as Jake snorted and stepped closer, his fingers rising to curl beneath Taylors chin.

"Can do." He promised, his lips lowering to Taylors, as he hummed and reciprocated eagerly, before resting his head to Jake's with a content sigh. They parted as the rest of the group returned, walking back to the cabins amid cheerful banter to grab their bags and return the skates.

As Taylor exited the second cabin, swinging his bag over his shoulder, Jake walked over to meet him, breathing warm air into his cupped hands. "Elevator should be ready for us now, Boy Scout." He said, holding out his hand for Taylor, who grinned as he accepted and hopped down the final step to the snowy ground.

"And so, our descent into the  _Inferno_  begins." Aleister said with dramatic flair, gazing around them all fondly.

"Are you Dante or Virgil?" Grace asked curiously, as she stepped up to his side.

"Hard to say..." Aleister mused thoughtfully, before breaking into a wide smirk. "But you, are certainly Beatrice." He said, elegantly raiding her hand and kissing it gently.

"Oh,  _you..."_  Grace giggled, biting her lip as her cheeks flushed with a deep tinge of red.

Taylor sighed contently, rounding everyone up as they headed for the chasm. The entire group gathered on the platform, where Jake engaged the controls, leading the elevator to lurch to a start. Snowflakes stirred from the metal grate, drifting lazily into the deep, dark crevasse. Taylor shivered, remembering his dream about Fiddler, and took a large step away from the edge.

"Is th-this the only way?" Kele asked, clearing his throat as he too backed away from the edge, his eyes alight with nervous energy. "I, uh, I'm not much for heights."

"Neither is Grace, but she seems to be managing alright." Taylor snickered, laughing as the dark skinned girl smiled, curled into Aleister's side protectively. "Quinn, why don't you make Kele forget all about the bad heights..?" He said innocently, dodging the indiscreet kick she immediately aimed at his leg with a laugh.

The redhead scowled at him, narrowing her eyes in a silent dark promise, before she painted a smile on her face and placed an arm around Kele's shoulders. "It's okay." She said, her expression softening into a more genuine smile, as her cheeks tinged pink. "I gotcha." She giggled, as Kele grinned at her shyly, his hand covering hers gently and lacing their fingers together tentatively, as she flushed a deeper shade of red.

Taylor grinned as the pair blushed and shared an awkward but intimate moment, turning to face Jake, as his pilot rolled his eyes at his matchmaking. "Cupid strikes again, huh?" He asked quietly, as Taylor snickered unashamedly.

As they rode the elevator down however, his amusement began to fade, stolen away like the sunlight and the mountain slopes by the encroaching darkness. "Jake..?" He murmured, his heart kicking up a beat in nervous agitation. "Don't let go..?" He pleaded quietly.

Jake's hand squeezed his own in tight reassurance, the pilots shoulder coming to rest against his own. "What's wrong?" The pilot asked, the concern in his voice unmistakeable. "You're not usually so affected by a bit of darkness..." He said, as Taylor huffed and clutched his free hand around their joined ones.

"No, its just..." He said, swallowing thickly as he raised their hands to his cheek, his foot tapping nervously against the platform, as it continued on its steady descent. "Last time I lost sight of you somewhere, you ended up in an alternate time to me... I uh, I didnt exactly handle that too well." He said, as Jake nudged him gently.

 _"Ain't_  gonna happen again, Boy Scout." He promised gruffly, as the darkness consumed them. They stood in tense, anticipatory silence, as the platform descended for what felt like an eternity. The air around them grew strangely warm, and Taylors heart lurched, as he was reminded of their descent into the catwalks beneath the Observatory. His back twinged in remembrance of the burns which he'd received, as finally, they emerged into a network of caverns; lit by the familiar red glow of boiling lava.

The elevator crunched to a stop, atop a pile of rubble."Told ya it'd be fine." Jake said, his clear eyes meeting Taylors briefly, before looking down at the rubble with a frown. "Looks like were climbin' the rest of the way down." He added, as they began to carefully navigate their way over the debris.

"Oh, holy crap!" Taylor choked, falling back on his ass, as he noticed Fiddlers suit, half buried under some of the heavy rocks. "Oh  _shit,_  why is that here?! Where is she?! Oh god, oh god, _oh god_... I did  _not_  need to see that..." Taylor babbled, clawing his way back over the debris, until Jake firmly gripped his shoulders, preventing him from falling and injuring himself.

"Hey,  _look at me_!" He ordered, forcing Taylors frantic gaze to meet his own. "It's alright... It's okay... I got ya, okay? I'm here... I got ya, Boy Scout." He said, calming Taylors hysteria as he slowly drew him into his arms.

"Is that what I think it is?!" Craig gasped, his eyes opening wide upon following Taylors distraught gaze, and catching sight of Fiddlers suit himself.

"It's her suit..." Mike confirmed, crouching beside the suit with a frown. "But I don't see  _her."_  He said, as Taylor struggled free of Jake's hold and scrabbled to unzip his shirt, suddenly terrified he would find the sharp tip of Fiddlers katana protruding from his chest.

"Hey, take it easy...  _Taylor!"_  Jake called, finally grabbing his wrists and forcing him to keep still. The pilot deliberately looked at his chest and released a wrist to press against the smooth skin, shaking his head as he frowned in concern and confusion. "There's  _nothing_  there... What's wrong?"

"I... I..." Taylor hiccupped, hanging his head as his panic finally began to abate, his pilot drawing him close and comforting him with reassuring murmurs. "... bad dream." He finally panted, looking up with his deep blue eyes beginning to clear of their torment. "I'm sorry..." He huffed, as his rapidly pounding heart at last calming itself.

"It looks like its unzipped." Sean said, crouching beside Mike to examine the suit for himself. "She may have crawled out and left it behind. .."

 _"Please_  don't say that, right now..." Taylor whispered pleadingly, burying his face in Jake's shoulder briefly, before forcing himself to take a deep breath and pushing to his feet. Jake rose with him, frowning in concern as he held Taylor close. "I'm okay. I'm... I'll be okay." He promised, his gaze confidence returning as he met Jake's intent gaze.

Zahra shoved Sean aside, examining Fiddlers suit with interest. "Damn, this is some sweet tech..." She said admiringly, clicking her tongue thoughtfully as she ran her hand over it lightly. "Pretty sure it'll readjust to fit anyone!"

"Taylor, what are you waiting for?" Craig cheered, beaming over at him eagerly, as Taylor looked back at the jock in open horror. "Try it on!"

 _"What?!"_  Taylor balked, his nose wrinkling in disbelief.  _"You_  try it on if you think it's so good." He scoffed, shivering in disgust. "Leave me  _out of it._.."

"Aw, c'mon, Taylor..." Diego rebuffed, frowning at his vehement reaction. "It's a pretty awesome getup, and I mean, right now... We kinda need all the help we can get."

"Well, why the hell can't one of  _you_  wear it?!" Taylor demanded, trembling as he eyed the suit nervously. "Why the hell is it always  _me?!"_

"'Cause dude," Diego huffed, clapping him one the shoulder worriedly. "You're the one we trust the most to actually get us through this." He said simply, as Taylor groaned and grimaced.

"... I  _hate_  you for this." He said quietly, shivering as Diego and Craig dug the suit free and handed it to him. "So goddamn much. You owe me more than an entire lifetime supply of... of...  _anything!"_  He groused sourly, as he hopped back up to the platform to change.

"Taylor," Jake said, grabbing his wrist before he slid over the edge and out of sight. "You don't have to do this..."

"... Well, they're right. We can't really afford to refuse any added help we might be able to get." Taylor sighed, gently freeing his wrist from the pilots hold.

"I'll wear the stupid thing-" Jake off only for Taylor to snort and roll his eyes.

"No thanks, I'd rather not have anything of hers contaminate you, Top Gun." He said, as Jake scoffed and laughed at his idiocy. "Besides, this way, you can at least distract me." He added, before disappearing over the top of the platform. He quickly divested himself of his Anachronist gear, shoving it all in his bag, before taking a deep breath and gazing at Fiddlers suit with a grimace of disgust. "Do it quick and keep them safe... Do it quick and keep them safe...  _Oh god, I don't wanna do this.._." He muttered, before reluctantly pulling on the technology riddled armour.

"So gross, so gross,  _so gross_..." He whimpered, as he felt the suit give a faint shiver, and mold itself to his body.  _"Urgh..."_  He groaned, grabbing his bag and swinging over his shoulder before sliding back over the edge, finding Jake waiting for him.

"C'mon, Boy Scout." He said quietly, holding out his arm and steadying Taylor as he descended the debris. "Soon as we get done down here, we can get you outta that thing... and everything else." He promised, pressing a kiss to Taylors temple as he grimaced and squirmed away.

"Don't be all affectionate while I'm wearing this... I'll be too turned off to actually enjoy that promise later." He complained, pouting at hisnpikot pathetically.

"Thought ya wanted me to distract you..." Jake huffed, drawing Taylor against his side as they descended the last of the rubble together.

"Well its gonna have to be something entirely un-sexual, because wearing this thing is likely to traumatize me against just about anything..." He groused, shivering as he reluctantly tipped his head to the others in acknowledgment. "Fits like a glove though, Zahra was right."

 _"Haha!"_  Craig cheered proudly, not noticing Taylors distress. "So dope!"

"The sickest." Zahra said, a sentiment which Taylor privately agreed with, though he expected they both meant it in differing meanings.

"That's..." Sean hesitated, sensing Taylors distress as he glared at him balefully, though he still raised his brows as he ran his eyes over Taylor. "I gotta say...  _Wow."_

Taylor grimaced, looking down in shame and disgust, only to notice a button on the palm of the left glove. "Hmm. I wonder what happens if I...  _Whoa!"_  He gasped as he preses the button, watching himself disappear suddenly, as the suit turned him invisible. "Okay, on second thought, I can see how this is kinda cool..."

"Hey!" Jake yelped, jumping as Taylor swatted his ass playfully, sniggering at the pilots narrowed eyes.  _"Boy Scout_!"

"He's gone!" Raj exclaimed, his rues wide as he looked around for Taylor, who snuck up behind Diego and tugged on his beard.

 _"Horace!"_  Diego yelped, his hands flying to his facial hair in distress, as Taylor moved away and snickered, deactivating the suit with a smirk.

"Right here, Raj. Not to worry." He said, grinning as Jake and Diego scowled at him. He ignored them both as he looked about their surroundings, feeling infinitely better about the missing soldiers armour, after actually having some fun with it. He watched as smoke drifted along the uneven rock floor, while streams of lava cast a reddish glow on the walls.

"This way!" Quinn cried suddenly, launching herself into a run and immediately disappearing diwnna branching tunnel.

"Quinn!" Taylor called urgently, moving to follow her, only for Jake to hold him back with a scowl. "You can't just-"

 _"Annnd,_  she's gone..." Diego said, cutting Taylor off as his shoulders sagged in defeat.

Michelle leaned down with a frown, examining a long streak of blood on the cavern floor. "I don't think Fiddler crawled out of that suit..." The blonde said slowly, raising her wide eyes to Taylor, as his skin began to crawl. "Something must have taken her body."

"Okay, good feelings gone." Taylor said quickly, scrubbing at any exposed skin. "Thankyou so much, Michelle." He said, as Jake rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, 'cause  _that's_  encouraging." The pilot snorted, as he gripped Taylors hand and squeezed tightly. "Just remember to  _breathe."_  He sighed, before gesturing for him to lead the way up the after Quinn.

Taylor rushed ahead, eager for the distraction, finding Quinn facing a dead end with a frown. He glanced at a round indentation in the center of the wall, before focusing his attention onto his friend. "I don't understand." She said, shaking her head in confusion. "This is supposed to lead into the core of the volcano... Maybe, Vaanu showed me a different timeline?"

"Quinn, sweetie," Taylor said, grasping her hand gently as the others caught up to them. "If you could not run off in unfamiliar territory? There's something down here with-"

"Taylor... o-over there!" Raj gasped urgently. Taylor followed his gaze ti an adjoining tunnel, where an enormous shadow was moving across the rock face.

A massive, reptilian head, short arms ending in vicious looking claws, and a long, powerful tail; all of which made Taylors blood turn cold. "A freakin' T-rex?!" Craig cried, clearly and calling the Anachronists tale of riding dinosaurs. "Hell yeah!"

 _"Shhhh!"_  Aleister scolded furiously, scowling as he tried to hide Grace behind himself, as the source of the shadow neared the gap. Taylor and his friends backed away slightly, all holding their breath in nervous anticipation. Taylor swallowed hard, as a spindly creature came into view.

"Oh!" Quinn gasped quietly, a small smile breaking out on her face. "It's kind of-"

"So help me, if you say the word cute; I will withdraw all friendship rights from you." Taylor whispered harshly, scowling as she pouted at him, but noticeably fell silent.

"Keep  _quiet!"_  Aleister ordered, his furious scowl darting between them both, before returning to the reptile. "That's an Oryctoraptor. They're more dangerous, than they appear." He said quietly, as he drew Grace further behind him.

Taylor narrowed his eyes, noticing that the man sized dinosaur carried a reflective orb in one claw, as it moved slowly out of sight. "Aw, man... The hype was a fake." Craig sighed dejectedly, as Taylor frowned after the creature thoughtfully.

"I believe we just witnessed the Deep Guardian." Varyyn gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at Diego in disbelief. "It is the  _most_  reclusive, of all Vaanu's servants..."

"Well shucks," Jake snorted, rolling his eyes as he grinned at Taylor. "And here I left my Pokeball at home." He said, as Taylor huffed despite himself, a small smile of amusement twitching at his lips.

Grace peered up at the indentation in the wall, ducking free of Aleister's protective hold. "Maybe... The Islands Heart goes here?" She asked uncertainly, frowning as she gently traced her finger over the small hole. "Hm, no... It's too big to fit."

"Hang on..." Jake said suddenly, his expression turning serious as his eyes met Taylors. "Boy Scout, remember when we travelled through time in that mine shaft?"

"I was  _just_  thinking the same thing..." Taylor admitted, nodding his head thoughtfully. "We should have fucked in that mine cart." He murmured to the pilot, laughing when Jake choked and spluttered in surprise. "No, I remember. There was the crystal in the wall... with claw markings in it. We should follow the Oryctoraptor." He said, tipping his head after the beast, as his giggles began to taper off. "We may need to use that orb to get to a time when this tunnel actually led to the volcano's core..."

"Am impeccable deduction." Aleister approved, nodding in agreement, as Grace nervous slid her hand into his.

"Taylor, you're so smart!" Quinn giggled, beaming a wide grin at him, as Kele stepped up beside her.

"Do we have to?" Raj asked, grimacing as he glanced down the tunnel after the beast. "That thing creeps me out." He said, his exoression falling.

"Like it or not," Sean said, running a hand over his hair distractedly. "It looks like we got a dinosaur hunt on our hands." He said, tipping his head for Taylor to lead the way.

The group all entered the adjoining tunnel together, unwilling to separate in such an environment, heading in the direction the Oryctoraptor had moved. Gradually the tunnel widened, becoming a large grotto, dominated by stalactites and stalagmites, and geysers of hissing steam.

They paused, the creature directly ahead of them, and reaching toward a lava stream. It reared up suddenly, sniffing at the air.  _"Kwrkkkt!"_  It cried, turning in their direction, as Taylor felt panic cuddle in his gut; watching as time slowed around the beast.

"Run..." He choked suddenly, turning to his friends desperately. "Everybody,  _hide!"_  He urged in a frantic whisper, his eyes wide as he pleaded for then to obey. "I'll handle this!" He promised, quickly activating Fiddlers suit. Jake grimaced, but obediently hurried down the tunnel with the others, reluctantly hiding out of sight.

The Oryctoraptor took a step in Taylors direction, sniffing the air curiously, before it returned it's attention to the lava stream.  _Whew..._  Taylor thought, though he didn't dare make a sound aloud.

 _"Kwok,"_  The Oryctoraptor chirped, cocking its head as if deep in thought.  _"Rokkk!"_  The dinosaur made an odd noise, as it pulled a chunk of crystal from the lava with both claws. The blue, translucent mineral had melted into a perfect sphere.

The Oryctoraptor squawked suddenly, tossing the orb aside as it skittered off quickly, heading for another lava stream. Taylor tool a deep breath, and cautiously approached the abandoned orb. He used his bag to scoop uo the glowing hot orb, then headed back to the dead end tunnel as fast as he could, finding his friends all waiting for him when he arrived.

"Taylor, thank god!" Quinn gasped, as he deactivated the suits invisibility.

Jake sighed in relief, his tense shoulders relaxing as he met Taylor half way and gently knocked their heads together. "Taylor...  _don't_  do that again, alright?" He asked quietly, as Taylor hummed softly, nodding his agreement.

"That..." Aleister hedged running a hand over his hair nervously. "Was harrowing to watch, Taylor. I, too, am glad you're alright."

"We got what we needed, at least." Taylor said quietly, drawing back from Jake to look down at Furball with a small grin. "Wanna help me out here, Furball?"

 _"Rrrf?"_  Furball yipped, titling his head curiously. Taylor opened his bag to reveal the crystal orb, as Furball approached and narrowed his eyes as he chuffed and growled.  _"Hff-hffff!"_  His frosty breath quickly cooled the crystal, allowing Taylor to pick it up, and insert it carefully into the indentation in the wall.

In the blink of an eye, the entire wall disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place. "Presto change-o!" Taylor huffed, turning with a smile as Jake nudged his arm affectionately.

"Nice trick..." Raj said, clicking his tongue thoughtfully. "Could've used that for the guy who always sat in my seat in Business Administration, two oh two." He added, as together, everyone headed down the newly revealed tunnel.

Taylor brought everyone to a halt suddenly, as he heard a muffled explosion from somewhere ahead, followed by voices yelling. His blood turned cold, his heart skipping a beat in nervous anticipation. "Sounds like a fight." Jake said, his eyes narrowed towards the end of the tunnel, before glancing around the group quickly. "Everyone stay close."

Taylor let Jake, Estela and Sean take the lead, with Kele and Craig just behind them. He turned to see Mike stubbornly remaining by his side, the soldier gesturing for him to lead the way. "You're trouble enough at the  _best_  of times, little Lemming." He said, shrugging his shoulders as Taylor huffed and marched ahead, though his lips twitched in amusement. A few moments later, the tunnel opened out into a vast cavern.

Sloping walls rose for what felt like miles, into the darkness above them. A lava pool lay at the centre of the floor, casting everything in blood red light. Taylors heart sank as his gaze settled on a group of Anachronists ahead, standing in front of a rippling, translucent wall. Flashes of time energy erupted from guns and clock like devices, being used against the barrier.  _"Again!"_  Uqzhaal demanded fiercely, almost rabid in his fury. "Strike it with everything you have!" He snarled, as Taylors heart twisted with grief. On the other side of the barrier, he could barely make out The Endless's spacesuit clad form, gazing out at the Vaanti nervously.

Taylor and his friends remained in the shadows, watching the battle cautiously. "They're like a mob of angry villagers, coming after Frankenstein's Monster!" Diego whispered in disbelief, his eyes wide as he observed their rage.

"Shouldn't we do something to help The Endless?" Raj asked, frowning over at the elderly version of Taylor uncertainly.

 _"Pfft,_  no." Taylor scoffed, scowling at The Endless, as Mike blinked in disbelief. "That bastard has more than reaped what's being sown; let him deal with his own problems, while we deal with ours." He said more reasonably, leading Raj to sigh in reluctant agreement.

"It's not working..." Uqzhaal growled furiously, his eyes wide as he glared at The Endless hatefully.  _"More!"_  He demanded urgently.

"Looks like he has the situation under control." Estela said quietly, narrowing her eyes at the barrier between The Endless and the Anachronist Vaanti.

Quinn moved to Taylors side, distracting him from the battle, as her gaze focused on the pool. "Vaanu is  _there..."_  She whispered, her eyes wide as she pointed to the lava, which seemed to churn and boil slower nearest to them. "In the lava!"

"So, we get the Heart over to the pool, and get out." Sean clarified, glancing around thoughtfully.

"Sounds like a plan." Taylor said, opening his bag up and about to ask for the Heart, only for Jake to cut in quickly.

"Boy Scout, we got a better chance at this, if a few of us distract the Murderhipsters." He said, his eyes running over Taylor nervously.

 _"No!"_  Taylor burst immediately, wincing at his overly loud tone. He glanced around, relieved to find none of the futuristic Vaanti had noticed his cry over the sounds of their attacks. "I know, you want to help, but trust me; this is  _not_  a good plan."

"Yeah, I'm with Taylor here, I mean; they don't look so friendly..." Raj said, frowning as he took a step back into the shadows.

"I don't think that's his point, Chuckles." Mike huffed, clapping Jake on the shoulder comfortingly, as Taylor grimaced at the show of affection. "He's sayin', he'll be distracted, if you're in their line of sight; and you know its true, Grandpa. Sit this one out." He advised, as Taylors gaze flitted between the soldiers face and his hand, still noticeably remaining on his pilots shoulder.

 _"Ahem..."_  He coughed, clearing his throat louder than was strictly necessary, as Mike sniggered and made a shoe of lowering his hand. "Lets just sneak in and out." He said firmly, his eyes meeting Jake's. "I'll get the Heart over there, and then we can leave." He said, as Jake began shaking his head firmly.

"You can't touch the Heart without havin' a damn heart attack." Jake protested, scowling as Taylor wiggled his open bag.

"I'll be fine, Top Gun, and back before you know it." He assured, ignoring Jake's continued vehement denials.

"They're too unpredictable to engage, McKenzie." Estela growled, her hand colliding with the back of Jake's head, causing him to turn and scowl at her as he rubbed the offended spot. "Stop being an idiot, and admit that Taylors right...  _This,_  is the only way."

"Its a good call, Taylor..." Sean agreed, winking at him as he nabbed the Heart from Craig. "But, I'll go to." He said, grinning at Taylors surprised expression.

"Sean, you could get spotted. I'm the one with the super gadget suit... I'll be-" Taylor said slowly, about to say more when the athlete merely grinned widely at him.

"So I'll keep to the shadows." He said lightly, shrugging his shoulder dismissively. "This way I can help you  _and_  keep Jake calm, knowing I'm guarding your back."

"I  _don't_  like this plan." Jake groused, sighing in defeat. "But, I gotta admit its solid... And better than  _yours."_  He added scathingly, scowling at Taylor as he jabbed a finger in his chest. "You better not do anything stupid." He warned as Taylor smiled lopsidedly.

 _"Would_  I?" He asked innocently, rolling his eyes at the pilots flat glare in response. "Scouts honour..." He promised, raising his hand and saluting roughly, before activating Fiddlers suit. He moved closer, grinning as he kissed Jake's cheek, and ran his hand down the pilots side to tug at his belt gently. "You stay safe too, and then you can show me how much you missed me..." He said quietly, as Jake laughed in surprise and jostled him away.

"Okay!" Taylor sighed, moving back over to Sean and tapping his arm. "Here goes..." He said, stepping into the red glow permeating the cavern. The Anachronists didn't seem to notice his presence, so he hurried toward the lava pool, while Sean made his way along the periphery with the Heart. After several tense mi uted of scrabbling, climbing and nervous pausing, he finally reached the pool. He gasped as he hopped onto a rocky ledge, dropping to his knees as he raised a hand to his chest, a familiar pulse radiating from within. He looked up to see a pillar of crystal rise a few feet away, shimmering amid the bright lava.

 _"Taylor!"_  Sean cried, leaping onto the ridge himself and hurrying to his side, The Islands Heart seeming to pulse with a luminescent glow in his hand. Taylor frowned down at the orb, his heart clenching as he matched the crystals pulsing to that of the pain residing in his chest. He swallowed thickly, and reached out to daintily pluck the orb from the athletes hand. The pain in his chest intensified, but remained bearable, as if the pillar were drawing the excess pain and power from him. He shook his head, and turned to stare at the pillar's mirror like facets as an unwelcome idea began to niggle at the back of his mind. "It's..." Sean choked, providing Taylor with a welcome distraction, as he turned towards the athlete eagerly. "It's  _incredible..."_

Taylor looked back at the pillar to see Sean, blinking back at him from several different shards at once. He frowned, as a white glow began to flutter deep within the crystal, before suddenly blazing into an intense burst of light, which burnt the entire cavern from his vision.  _"Aah!"_  He gasped, too late to block the light with his arms.

Before he could call out to check on Sean, a voice spoke, resonant and strangely familiar to him. _ **"I am whole... restored... complete**_!" They cried joyously, as Taylor shuddered, his heart turning cold.

"Well, that's... good,  _right?"_  Taylor asked reluctantly, wanting nothing more than to flee, to find Jake and to run; and to never stop running. "Now the world can go back to normal?" He asked, looking around the white haze blindly.

 _ **"Change will come swiftly, yes. But, what for it will take, remains to be determined**_." The voice warned, as Taylor realised with a start that the speaker was Vaanu itself, thought its strange ethereal body was noticeably missing.

"You've been showing everyone their futures..." Taylor said, his expression morphing into an irritated frown. "Can't you see what'll happen? How we can change everything back?"

 _ **"There are many futures. Some, I am given to know and even more remain, that can only be guessed at**_." Vaanu replied softly, as Taylor shivered, chaffing his arms with his hands. " _ **To be alive, is to never truly know what will happen next..."**_

"Wait, so does that mean..." Taylor choked, his eyes widening briefly, before he scowled furiously into the light surrounding him. "Were those futures even real? Or were they just, a glimpse of what  _could_  have been?!" He demanded, his heart clenching as he thought about all the things his friends might have been lied to, or given false hope and belief about. Without receiving an answer, the light around him cleared suddenly, to reveal that the orb was no longer in his grasp.

 _"Aah-aarggghhh!"_  He cried, choking as his chest suddenly swelled with a deep needle like ache. He bent double, his head almost touching the floor as he gasped and choked for breath, the intense pain seeming to swirl within him like a tornado.

"Taylor-" Sean gasped, reaching for him, only for Taylor to slap his hand away as he sat up, his eyes wide in fear; though they tried to squeeze closed from the storm of agony raging within him.

"Get away..!" Taylor whispered, shoving the athlete off him as he again tried to stabilize him. " _Get away_!" He cried, as the pulse quickened, the swirling storm peaking into a fiery spark.  _"Aaaah!"_  He yelled, as a shockwave of blue-green energy, erupted from his body. He gasped, falling to the floor in an exhausted heap, body aching worse than anything he remembered experiencing.

"Taylor!" Sean cried, finally managing to scoop Taylors exhausted body into his arms without resistance. "What's happening?!" He demanded, as Taylor groaned and turned to watch the energy sweep across the cavern.

 _"Taylor!"_  A loud cry rebounded across the cavern, easily discernable even without being able to see where Jake and the others were. Taylors eyes widened, his legs shaking beneath his weight as he struggled to his feet, staring in nervous awe, as the energy which had escaped him; collided with The Endless's barrier with a deafening roar. Green flames overtook the rippling wall, melting it away.

"Ah!" The Endless gasped, backing away uncertainly. "Oh dear..." He hummed nervously, as a few Anachronists glanced towards where Taylor and Sean remained crouched beside the pool, before their group converged on The Endless.

"Your time has come." Said the strangely attired Vaanti, who'd first directed them to Quarr'tel. Taylor saw the Vaanti grip The Endless vicopusly, dragging him forward.

"Perhaps you'll explain to me, why you feel this is necess-" he tried to ask, as he glanced around them, only to be cut off abruptly.

 _"Silence!"_  Uqzhaal roared, his crimson eyes gleaming with malicious glee, as two Anachronists pushed The Endless to the cavern floor.

"We don't take kindly to being lied to." The strangely attired Vaanti spat, sneering down at The Endless, as he stepped around the old man. "No matter what timeline it happens in."

"My people worshipped at your feet. We saw you as a saviour..." Uqzhaal said bitterly, hobbling forward slowly. "And all the while, we were merely  _pawns!"_  He spat, his eyes narrowing beneath his skull like mask. "You filled our minds with  _nonsense_  and set our hands working on the instruments of your corruption!" He snarled, shuffling to a halt before The Endless and raising his ornately carved staff, preparing to bring it down upon The Endless.

Taylor caught sight of movement by the cavern entrance, the rest of his friends struggling to hold both Jake and Mike back, as they watched in horror. He turned back to the Vaanti, his heart lurching, despite his dislike or distrust of The Endless; not wishing his friends to witness such an event. "Let justice be done..." Uqzhaal said lowly, his menacing tone echoing ominously around the cavern. "Let an  _end,_  come for The Endless."

"Uqzhaal,  _stop!"_  Taylor yelled, wincing at the lingering ache in his chest, as the shaman's deathly vusage to swivel towards him in surprise. "I don't agree, with what he did to you... I don't agree, with the way he used your people... But, Raan'losti  _wasn't_  a lie." He said, glancing around the rest of the Vaanti. "Look at yourselves! Your people are better off now!" He said, gesturing to the Anachronists, who shifted guiltily and glanced away. "Your peoples entire society, is structured on his teachings... You were nothing, but blood thirsty killers; who took joy in the vicious act of ending life, before The Endless came to you." He said, shaking his head as he straightened, attempting to appear stronger than he felt. "Do you  _really_  want to go back to that now? Just because of that miserable bastard?" He asked, gesturing dismissively to The Endless, who frowned back at him curiously.

"We were better off before, Catalyst." Uqzhaal sneered hatefully, his eyes glinting maliciously. "Before The Endless. Before  _you."_  He spat, as Taylor swallowed thickly and looked down, unable to rebuff the shaman.

"Uqzhaal, doing this won't change anything!" Sean yelled as he scowled over at the Vaanti, his arm tightening around Taylors torso, as he helped support his weakened body.

"You're wrong." Uqzhaal said, his voice threaded with disgust and sinister intent. "It will change the indignity my people endure, by suffering The Endless to live... And once he is gone, then we can free ourselves of his youthful counterpart."

One of the Anachronists grabbed Uqzhaal's staff, just before the shaman could swing it viciously towards The Endless. "W-what are you doing?" The shaman demanded, as Taylor looked up in surprise. "The Endless has committed-"

"And The Endless deserves punishment, yes." The strangely attired Vaanti from the woods declared, glancing over at Taylor with an almost imperceptible nod. "But no one person can be judge, jury and executioner... And you cannot judge an innocent who had no part in the events of the past."

"Somehow, I think you got them to see reason, Taylor." Sean said quietly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Why do you sound so surprised by that?" Taylor huffed, frowning as he looked up at the athlete. "I feel like I should be offended by your surpr-" he trailed off, as a distant sound, similar to waves crashing, came from high above. The Anachronists stepped back from The Endless, glancing upwards uncertainly.

The noise grew louder, becoming a steady roar of turbine engines and Taylor gasped in distress, as The Omega Mech descended into view. " **Well, well**." Rourke said smugly, looking around the scene gleefully, noticeably focusing on Taylor and his weakened state. " **All of my favourite people, in one place. How convenient**..." He said, chuckling as Jake and Mike broke free of the others restraint and raced over; the rest of their friends rushing just behind them.

"Taylor, come  _on!"_  Diego cried, as Jake and Mike braced him between them, as Sean retreated to give them room. "Lets get out of here!"

"But, Uqzhaal-" Taylor began, as Jake growled, his clear eyes narrowing in a scowl towards the Vaanti shaman.

"Jumanji tried to kill you once already, Boy Scout, I ain't lettin' him try again." He said, his gaze turning concerned, as he turned towards Taylors weakend state.

"I'm okay." He protested quickly, looking back to where Uqzhaal was glaring at The Omega Mech hatefully. "But I still don't think we should-"

"Jake is  _right,_  my friend." Varyyn said, his hand falling tk Taylors shoulder gently, causing him to wince from lingering ache within his body. "Uqzhaal was my mentor, and is a beloved member of my closest friends... But he has made his choice in this regard. His perception of betrayal was too great." He said sadly, sighing as he turned to Diego, who huddled close to the Vaanti's side.

"You must not interfere, man of the Hydra!" Uqzhaal snarled, shaking his stick at Rourke's heavily armoured mech.

" **On the contrary**." Rourke said, shaking his head as he feigned a commiserating expression. " **It is I, who tire of your interference..."**  He sighed, as the mech continued to lower itself through the caldera. Taylors breath caught as the mechs arm began to raise, remembering the last time he'd seen Rourke command the mech in such a way.

 _"No!"_  He yelled, his chest aching as time slowed. He gasped, the added strain on his body causing him to slip through Jake and Mike's hold, falling to his knees with a jolt which set time back on its original path.

 _"Taylor!_  How the-" Jake yelped, dropping to his side and covering him with his body, as the mechs arm extended fully, blasting the Anachronists with a blue beam. Taylor looked up in guilty distress, as Uqzhaal and the rest of his group instantly faded away.

"...  _Uqzhaal!"_  Varyyn choked, turning as streams of light began to emerge from the pillar, forming a familiar, hovering figure. Vaanu's spirit rose towards the mech, its arms raised protectively; only to pass straight through the colossal robot, before fading away.

 _"Aah-!"_  Taylor gasped, as Jake lifted him into his arms quickly, turning with the others to run for the caverns exit. Taylor wrapped his arms around his pilots neck, peering over his shoulder as The Endless crawled towards them.

"Taylor, please...  _wait!"_  He called urgently, and despite wanting to ignore him, Taylor shoved at Jake's shoulder insistently in an urge to bring him to a halt.

"Taylor, what the  _hell-"_  the pilot demanded, scowling as Taylor dropped tiredly to his feet, stumbling around him towards The Endless.

"Rourke will promise everything..." The Endless said quickly, shaking his head as Taylor rolled his eyes. "But then, he will take away the very thing, we've fought so hard to protect..." He said, looking after their friends pointedly. Taylor bit his lip, glancing over his shoulder at his friends nervous faces, as they waited for him. The ground heaved beneath them, as the mech finally landed.

Rourke's laughter emerged from the speakers, as a low, derisive buzz. " **What? No grand death scene? No soliloquy**?" He asked in amusement, watching The Endless cease his attempts to crawl away. " **Well, I've got one for you... 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, creeps into this petty pace, from day to day... And all our yesterdays, have lighted fools the way to dusty death'!** " He said, slowly devolving into a manic scowl.

As blue light flared in The Omega Mechs palms, a preternatural calm settled over The Endless. "... Only  _you_  can save them now, Taylor." He said assuredly, smiling at him, as another beam tore its way across the cavern.

Taylor blinked as the light cleared, revealing no trace of The Endless remaining. His heart turned cold, guilt gnawing at him for The Endless's fate, despite the disagreement he had with the mans methods. He looked up, as the mech took a shuddering step towards him. " **Ah, Taylor... I take it you're now aware of your, special abilities?"**  Rourke said smugly, as Taylor scowled at him, his hand flexing, ready to press the button on his palm at any second. " **I don't know how you managed to disrupt my Omega Mechs power last time... But, as you can see, you'll not have the opportunity to interfere this time**." He sneered, as Taylors confidence faltered, his heart racing as he but his lip uncertainly. " **Come with me now, and I'll let each and every one of them walk out of here. No tricks, no lies. They'll have better lives, with bright futures, I guarant-"**

"Enough!" Aleister roared, stepping in front of Taylor and glaring at his father hatefully. "I  _won't_  let you do this, father!" He said firmly, as Taylor blinked, the coldness in his heart turning to warmth at his friends protective display. He gasped, as Aleister suddenly leapt onto the mech and struggled to tear open a panel on its leg.

"Aleister!" He cried, as the leg drew back, threatening to drop the pale boy into the lava pool. It then swung forward, sending him flying across the cavern. Just before he could collide with a rock wall, Mike snagged him from the air, his jetpack gently lowering them both to the floor.

"Ah..!" Aleister gasped, as he stumbled, the partially bionic soldier bracing him until he stepped away awkwardly.  _"Ahem..._  thankyou."

 _"Aleister!"_  Grace cried, moving to rush over to his side, only to be held back by Craig, as The Omega Mech turned to reveal Rourke's scowling face.

 **"Aleister,"**  he sneered derisively. " **I must confess, until your betrayal, I'd still not given up hope**." He sighed, shaking his head in dramatic emphasis.  **"Despite continual displays of inadequacy, I'd held on to the idea that you might add up someday. But the truth is, there was little chance of that**."

"Because you  _never_  gave me a chance!" Aleister scoffed, glaring at the towering automaton fearlessly, as it strode towards him. Taylor moved towards his friend, but stumbled, only keeping his feet beneath him due to Jake and Mike's steadying hand on his arms.

Readouts and reticles flickered across Rourke's spiteful expression, as he sneered down at the pale boy. " **Because the process that made you was imperfect**." He said scathingly, grinning maliciously as Aleister crumpled as if he'd been struck, and took an uncertain step backwards. " **You were born in a vat, your genetics and tissue cloned painstakingly from my own."**  He explained spitefully, as he watched Aleister quake and shake his head in disbelief, his legs quivering with impending failure. **"I tried to create a successor... and in the end, made nothing more than a pale shadow of myself**." He finally snarled, his eyes narrowing hatefully.

Taylors heart ached, as he watched the words go through Aleister like a knife. His voice became a hoarse cry of desperation, as he attempted to take another step backwards, only to stumble and fall to the floor. " _That's... not true_!" He denied brokenly, as Taylor tried to stumble his way closer to his friend.

 **"You know that it is**." Rourke said dismissively, snorting at Aleister's display of emotional turmoil. " **You said it yourself, 'Never a father to me '."**

"Aleister, he's just trying to manipulate you..." Taylor huffed, as he crashed to his knees beside him. "Don't listen to him!" He said, as Rourke began to laugh.

" **Oh, the lengths you'll go to, Taylor, to protect your little fan club. But here, as you clearly won't trust my word; lets ask someone you will trust**." Rourke chuckled, clipping some switches within the mech.  **"Iris, maintain current configuration, and explain directive nineteen oh eight**."

The emotionless hologram materialized next to Rourke, her eyes blank as she stared straight through them all. "Directive nineteen oh eight, requires that the I.R.I.S unit place full priority, on the goal it was originally fabricated for." She explained tonelessly, flickering briefly, before continuing. "Namely, to utilize Imogen Rourke's knowledge of reproductive cloning, in order to construct a suitable analog of Everett Aleister Rourke; while preserving the original specimens life, from all perceived threats."

Tears streamed from Aleister's eyes, which were wide with disbelief, as he stared at the blue tinted image of his mother. "No! Rourke, you  _bastard!"_  Grace roared, scowling as she snarled up at Rourke hatefully. "You delusional, immoral, self serving... You don't deserve to breathe the same  _air_  as Aleister!" She spat, breaking through Craig's stunned hold to rush over to the pale boys side, wrapping her arms around him protectively as he weeped motionlessly.

"Rourke..." Taylor groaned, pushing to his feet and taking a single wobbling footstep towards the gloating man. "I admit, there were times you almost had me sold on giving up... But then I realised; we're gonna beat you, and kick your ass, all the way back to your precious Hadean era! If I have to, I'll drop your sorry ass there my- _ahh!"_  He choked, as his chest pulsed with a residual jolt of pain surged through him.

Rourke sneered, turning the mech away in disgust. **"It seems, however, that nature has succeeded where science has failed**." He hummed smugly, ignoring them all as Jake and Mike rushed to Taylors side, and the rest of their friends crowded closer around them protectively. " **I have others to carry on my work, among them a capable heir**."

"What is it with you? God... Talk, talk, talk; do you  _ever_  shut up?" Taylor groaned, scowling at the mech as he got to his feet with Jake and Mike's help. "Get to the point already! What the  _hell_  are you talking about?!"

"No one's going to be following in your footsteps, Rourke!" Sean assured, his hand resting on Michelle's shoulder as she dropped to her knees and tried to examine Taylor, only for him to bat her hands away distractedly.

"Your work ends  _here!"_  Estela promised darkly, putting all her strength behind her spear, as she hurled it at the glass enclosed cockpit.

"Uh, Estela..." Taylor said uncertainly, his rebuke falling silent as a huge hand snatched the spear out of the air. Its wooden shaft was crushed to flinders in the mechs grasp. "... Yeah, that's... pretty much what I was gonna say." Taylor hedged awkwardly, patting Estela's arm briefly, before she turned her irritated scowl towards him.

Rourke directed the other robotic arm into the pool, scooping up the crystalline pillar. "He's taking the crystal...  _all_  of it!" Mike choked, staring in disbelief as Taylor tried to shove his way forward, hoping to damage the mech somehow; only for the two pilots to forcibly hold him back.

"You ain't goin' anywhere  _near_  that damn thing, Boy Scout..." Jake scoffed, holding onto his arm tightly, as Taylor sagged and stared at the crystal, desperately willing himself the power to stall time long enough to prevent Rourke escaping with it.

 **"All along, I believed I needed The Endless to make my vision real... But it was this**." Rourke said thoughtfully, tilting the crystal before the cockpit. " **This, is the key to a new age. There are no longer any limits. Now, we can create whatever life, whatever world we wish to live in.** " He cried exultantly.

Taylor reached toward the crystal determinedly, gritting his teeth as he prepared to throw his all into a final attempt to reclaim the crystal, when he felt Vaanu's presence reach out to him. " ** _Do not fear. The last piece, is still missing. Without it, time will resist his control_**." Vaanu explained, like a quietly breathed whisper deep within his mind. " _ **You will discover the fragment before he does. Be cautious, however, for he knows this already**_..." The whisper came again, before fading away, along with all trace of Vaanu's presence.

Taylor bit his lip, suddenly feeling hollow, as he watched Rourke engage the mechs thrusters, blasting wind through the cavern. Rourke began to ascend back through the caldera, taking the mass of crystal with him. As he vanished above, Taylor heard his smug voice calling down to them. " **It won't be long, Taylor... Eternity is nearly ours. Consider the lives of your friends to be a, parting gift... until we meet again**." He chuckled derisively, confirming Vaanu's warning that Rourke knew of their situation. Taylor hung his head, his hand clenching in irritation of his own helplessness.

Estela glared upwards, her body contorted in rage. " _I'll kill you with my bare hands first_!" She snarled after the ascending mech, but the only response was Rourke's gleeful laughter.

"Guys?" Craig called suddenly, his eyes wide as he stumbled back a step. "The lava's moving!" He said, pointing at the blazing pool, which appeared to be steadily rising. Molten rock began flooding into the carvern, creeping its way towards them like a lake which burst its bank.

"Back to the caves,  _now!"_  Jake yelled, his eyes wide and frantic, as he and Mike tried to brace Taylors arms over their shoulders and lead him away. Taylor pushed Jake aside, pointing him firmly towards the others.

"I'm fine, Mike will help me, now  _you_  help  _them!"_  He ordered firmly, scowling as Jake made to reach for him again. "Don't make me say it again, Top Gun!  _Go!_  We're right behind you!" He growled, shoving Jake's shoulder roughly.

Jake scowled at him a moment, before glancing at Mike, who nodded sharply in reply to his silent question. Jake sighed, looking longingly at Taylor, before rushing ahead, leading the others to safety as they followed him into the tunnels. "Why do I get the feelin' you're gonna get me in trouble, little Lemming?" Mike sighed, as Taylor turned back to where Aleister remained frozen in place.

Grace tugged frantically at Aleister's arm. "Aleister, we've got to  _go!"_  She pleaded, her eyes wide as they darted between Aleister and the approaching lava.

"Leave me." Aleister said quietly, his broken voice stabbing at Taylors heart painfully.

"What?!" Grace cried, flinching back as if he'd struck her. "What are you..." She gasped, her expression morphing into a furious scowl as she grabbed his arm forcefully again. "Come on, damn you! Don't  _do_  this right now!"

"Nothing matters anymore, Grace." Aleister said dejectedly, his body limp as he watched the approaching lava withou emotion. "It never did in the first place." He said, hanging his head forlornly, as tears streaked over his cheeks, gleaming in the encroaching blaze.

"Take her, and  _go."_  Taylor said to Mike firmly, moving free of the soldiers hold to drop to Aleister's side, as Grace continued to pull with all her might, but remained unable to move him.

"Ha, good one, Lemming!" Mike snorted, his bionic eye winking at him conspiratorially. "But I'm pretty attached to the few body parts I got left, so I think I'll stick with 'no', and 'hurry the fuck up'..." He added, though he moved to at least draw Grace away.

"No..." She protested weakly, hanging onto his arm tightly. "Aleister,  _please..._  I'm  _not_  letting you die!" She choked, as Mike gently drew her away and folded her into his arms, glancing at Taylor urgently.

"Aleister-" Taylor began, setting his hand on the pale boys shoulder, only to look up when a tendril of green light began to descend from the darkness overhead. Vaanu struggled to manifest, streams of energy stripping away, causing it to disperse into amorphous light once more. An arm reached out of the haze, offering him an object.

Taylor grimaced, but accepted the salvaged magazine, shoving it under Aleister's nose. "Now you look at this here, you asshole!" He demanded, scowling ss Aleister looked up in surprise. " _Look at it!_ " He ordered, shoving it into Aleister's face as the pale boys brow furrowed, reaching up and taking it in his hand.

With a swirl of white light, Taylor found himself somewhere else. A cozy living room, inside a smart apartment. Grace entered, and began touching up her makeup in a mirror on the wall. "You're sure you're going to be okay?" She called, rolling her eyes at an exasperated sigh which sounded through the apartment.

"Of course, darling." Aleister drawled, his voice distorted through the wall of the adjoining room. "Go and enjoy yourself tonight. We'll be just fine."

Grace finished checking herself in the mirror and turned, pouting through the doorway Aleister's voice had travelled from. "Can I get kisses before I go?" She asked, grinning at the fond chuckle she heard.

A few moments later, Aleister walked out of the bedroom, cradling a tiny baby boy. The adorable infant qriggled anxiously in his fathers arms. "Don't worry." Aleister scoffed, his eyes dancing with joyful amusement. "I'm better at this than I look."

 _"Mhm."_  Grace giggled, leaning down to place a tender kiss on ger sons forehead. She then stepped forward and craned herself upwards to give Aleister's cheek a peck, before turning to grab her coat. "Be good, boys. Momma will be home soon!" She called as she left.

Aleister took a seat on the couch with his son, beginning to sing in a soft, warbling voice. " _The story of how I love you, it has no end... A baby when its sleeping, its not cry_ -" he fell silent suddenly, as the child began to wail, waving his chubby arms in protest. "Yes, you have a point. Singings not my strong suit." Aleister chuckled quietly, sniffing back a tear as he gently rocked his son.

"I think daddy made himself sad too... That was a lullaby, your grandmother used to sing." He said, freeing a hand to brush his cheek, before looking down at his son thoughtfully. "Reginald, I'm not perfect... But, I want you to know, that I'm going to do whatever it takes;  _for you_." He said, lowering his hand to slip his finger into his sons tiny fist. "When you need me, I'll be there. You can count on that... I don't think I've ever been as happy, as the day you were born. Your mother too. She was so...  _radiant."_  He said quietly, smiling down at his son fondly. "Everything I needed from my parents... All the love, I didn't have the opportunity to experience... I'm going to make sure you have, if you want it." He said, as Reginald smiled softly.

"Does that sound good? Where should we start, then?" Aleister asked, jostling his son in a gentle rocking motion.

"... Ba-ba!" Reginald babbled, waving his chubby arms eagerly, as he gazed up at Aleister adoringly.

"Done." Aleister agreed, besming down at his son. "Baba it is." He chuckled, taking a baby bottle from a side table and bringing it to the childs mouth. Reginalds big blue eyes stared up at his father curiously, as he drank his bottled milk.

"Now... Shall I read to you, from  _The Vienna Review_?" Aleister asked, lifting a dog-eared magazine from the couch, and flipping it open. "This is the only publication I keep that features your grandfather...  _because,_  you see, it just so happens that it also mentions your daddy, when he was a young man..." He explained, before launching into the article in a quiet drawl, slowly lulling the child into a comfortable slumber.

Time blurred the next couple of hours, til Grace suddenly appeared, and began hanging up her coat. "Sugar? You still awake?" She called, stepping into the cozy living room to find Aleister dized off in a sitting position, with their son nestled safely against his chest, embraced gently within his arms. Grave bit her lip, barely containing her joyful grin, as she sat on her knees on the floor; content to simply watch her husband and son rest. It wasn't long, before the first light of day began to fill the sky, though Grace showed no intention of moving as the vision faded, returning Taylor to the volcano's core.

"I..." Aleister balked, his cheeks danp from as he stared with wide eyes at Taylors scowling expression. "I..."

"Get your ass up, and  _move!"_  Taylor growled, trying hard to maintain a firm attitude, as blissful joy bubbled through him, residual emotion left from the vision.

Aleister blinked, looking down at the magazine briefly, before looking up at Grace.  _"Please,_  Aleister..." She pleaded, her eyes watering, as she stared at him longingly.

Aleister swallowed heavily, blinking rapidly as his grip on the magazine tightened, and he pushed to his feet. "... Sorry, yes, I'm coming!" He assured, shaking his head as he helped Taylor to his feet.

"Here, swap ya, Hedwig." Mike said, releasing Grace and reaching for Taylor, who grinned lopsidedly at the partially bionic soldier.

"You know, Jake calls him Malfoy." He said fondly, giggling as Mike pulled his arm over his shoulder.

 _"Amateur."_  Mike sniffed, raising a brow at Taylor as he grinned at him. "That a smile I see directed at me, Kid?" He asked, as Grace and Aleister hurried along slightly ahead of them.

 _"Pfft,_  you  _wish_  Captain Scarlet." Taylor sniggered, jostling Mike playfully as he stumbled along beside him. As the lava continued to rise, the four of them ran to catch up with the others in the tunnels.

"What the bloody hell took you so long?" Jake demanded, scowling as he nudged Mike aside and stepped closer to Taylor, who flopped into the pilots arms in giddy affection.  _"Whoa!_  What the-" he began, looking down at Taylors sappy expression briefly, before glaring at Mike accusingly.

"Yeah, I dunno." Mike said, shrugging as he folded his arms over his chest. "I ain't even gonna try and explain it. He just, goofed out. Bonding with me and everythin', was kinda creepy, tell ya the truth Grandpa."

"Ha, dream on Crimson Raider!" Taylor scoffed, nuzzling Jake's jaw affectionately. "Only room for one pilot in my heart, so suck it." He snorted, as Jake barked a surprised laugh, and Mike snorted in amusement.

"I'll uh, leave that to Grandpa, thanks and all." He said, grinning when Taylor laughed. "Man, oh man, I cannot  _wait_  to get you drunk, Kid..." He mused, as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Trust me, ya don't wanna see Boy Scout when he's inebriated." The pilot assured, his hand running over Taylors side as he held him close and turned towards Mike, as the pair began to bicker.

Taylor snickered fondly, before noticing Aleister glance over at him meaningfully. "Thank you, Taylor." He said quietly, as Taylor saluted him roughly and grinned widely.

 _"Whoa!"_  He yelped suddenly, his arms looping around Jake's neck, as the pilot collected him into his arms. "I am not a plaything to be manhandled!" He cried indignantly, as Jake pointedly raised a brow at him. "Okay,  _that_  kind of manhandling is entirely allowed, but this whole romantic carrying thing is going way too far!" He protested, as Jake snickered and began walking with the others away from the cavern.

"I'm gonna remind you of this, soon as you start complaining about a lack of manhandling." The pilot snorted fondly, glancing at him fondly, before looking back at the dark path before them.

"Well, when you do, I will remind you that I can revoke kissing allowances throughout the day to zero." Taylor rebuffed smugly, toying with the pilots dog tags chain behind his neck, as Mike laughed.

"Oh, I was right. I  _like_  him." He snorted, as Jake scowled at his friend in irritation.

"Don't  _encourage_  him." The pilot growled, only for Estela to swat the back of his head with her hand.

"Don't  _whine,_  McKenzie." She snarked, before moving ahead with Sean and Craig.

"I take it back, I like  _her."_  Mike sniggered gleefully, as Taylor sighed and began to wriggle, getting comfortable as he leaned his head against his pilots shoulder and closed his eyes.

After am hour of wandering, he felt Jake's stubble brush affectionately over his cheek, and he cracked his eyes open with a faint sound of protest. "C'mon, Boy Scout..." The pilot murmured, tipping his chin ahead of them, as the group rounded a corner to find pale light, streaming through an exit.

"Hmm, we're almost out!" Taylor hummed tiredly, though he squirmed at the thought of impending of fresh air. "Jake, put me down...  _Please..."_  He said, wriggling until his pilot complied with a sigh. He tested his legs, before shuffling slowly beside his pilot, walking stiffly towards the exit.

They emerged into the night sky, the stars glittering above them, and Elyys'tel's mighty tree within view ahead of them. "Urgh, thank goodness." Diego groaned, rubbing his neck as Varyyn squeezed his hand. "Living through  _Journey to the Center of the Earth_ , was harder than I expected." He complained wearily.

Taylor looked around, noticing hundreds of flower garlands were draped across the city's platforms and walkways. Gentle winds stirred the blossoms, causing them to shimmer in the moonlight. "It's so beautiful..." Quinn breathed, unknowingly voicing Taylors own thoughts. "I wonder what the occasion is?"

"Tomorrow is the first day of Niala'rei." Varyyn explained, his cheeks darkening slightly as he glanced at Diego, who was wrestling to free a candy bar from his nag with a scowl. "When those who truly love each other have the opportunity to be handfasted." He said, as Jake stepped up behind Taylor and brushed his lips over the back of his neck affectionately. Taylor smiled softly, half glancing over his shoulder at the pilot.

Craig let out an irritated groan. "Oh, great..." The jock complained with a sigh, frowning down at Elyys'tel dejectedly. "Man, I  _hate_  weddings..."


	11. I Was Lost Until You Found Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... here we are.   
> This is actually wgere i usually stop playing and just... repeat this chapter endlessly. I am really not fond of the final two chaprers in all honesty. I even messaged choices about it and had a little chat with them about how annoyed and disappointed i was... so yeah. I did that. XD
> 
> Anyway - i am reeeaaally sorry this took me so much longer than nornal. I would love to say its me being a perfectionist but its not... i have had to go to work a lot more and been kept busy (one night i even just went to sleep in a fit of depression)
> 
> But... its here now. I hope hope hope you enjoy this chapter; i am absolutely terrified and eager to hear your opinions on how it turned out..! 
> 
> Most of all thoigh, i just hope you enjoy it <3
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_... After so much danger, death defying, time chasing and pretty much anything else you could think of... It was kinda nice to be back somewhere so familiar._

_I admit, I hadn't been expecting such an amazing bubble of happiness to steal over me. I'd thought we would just be passing through... And instead, I was given what will probably be the most amazing experience of my entire... existence. However long that turns out to be._

_There aren't words for what the day meant to me, or for what **you**  mean to me... I just, I wish we could have had a little more time to revel in it. If I could live out eternity in one moment, it would be that day; with you._

_But that's the fairy tale complete I'm afraid. The ending came sooner than I expected, and now; its just the final hurdle, before your epilogue can begin... I wish you could remember, just how much I love you. How much I will always love you..._

_All of you..._

**11.**

**I Was Lost Until You Found Me.**

Taylor hummed in tired protest, as he and his friends trudged through the rainforest towards Elyys'tel. The tree city rose before them, a glittering silhouette in the light of the full moon. Flower garlands lined every platform and bridge, heralding the handfasting holiday, of Niala'rei.

"This makes the Riverside Mall at Christmas, look like a bomb shelter!" Diego breathed, shaking his head at the glorious and beautiful vision of the Vaanti home.

"No day is more sacred to us, than Niala'rei." Varyyn said brightly, wrapping his arm around Diego's shoulders and drawing him close to his side, beaming a wide grin down at him.

"Hey, you still with me there, Boy Scout?" Jake asked quietly, squeezing his hand as he nudged his shoulder gently.

"Hmm, always." Taylor hummed, smiling up at his pilot fondly. "But, I am  _sooo_  ready to get out of this stupid thing..." He said tiredly, gesturing to Fiddlers suit. Jake snorted and chaffed a hand over his arm affectionately, brushing a tickling kiss over Taylors brow as they strolled towards the glittering tree city.

Taylor hummed, nuzzling into the pilots affectionate caress, when he noticed Aleister straggling behind them, clearly still reeling after the confrontation with Rourke. He nudged Jake's arm, gesturing for the pilot to continue, as he dropped back to walk beside the pale boy. "I'm coming. Sorry." Aleister said distractedly, as he noticed Taylor waiting for him.

"Don't worry about it," Taylor said gently, smiling at him crookedly as he fell into step beside the pale boy. "Truth be told, Jake's walkin' too fast for me, with the way I keep stumbling at the moment anyway." He said, huffing in amusement as Aleister raised a disbelieving brow at him. "I'll have you know I was being sincere... But, okay fine, I also wanted to check on you..." He admitted, scowling down at himself as he tried to shove his hands in his pockets, only to realise he had none. "Aleister, how are you holding up?"

Aleister sighed and shook his head despairingly, coming to a halt before he finally raised his eyes to Taylors. "As well as a person of my..." He paused, swallowing thickly as the words visibly stuck in his throat.  _"Manufacture_  can be, I suppose." He said, his hand tightening into a fist.

"We're here for you, you know that, right?" Taylor said, reaching for Aleister's hand and gripping it in tight reassurance. "I know things were tense for awhile, with the fallout from the uh,  _espionage..._  But, just let us know what you need."

"I will." Aleister sighed, offering a weak smile in gratitude, before frowning suddenly as a thought struck him. "Taylor, you once mentioned that you had knowledge of previous... events. That you spent time with my mother... Did she, I mean, did you-"

"I didn't know, Aleister." Taylor said quietly, patting his friends arm gently as he interpreted his jumbled attempts to voice his thoughts. "But, even if I  _had..?_  It wouldn't have changed how I thought of you." He added sincerely, squeezing Aleister's arm briefly, as the pale boy flashed a small smile, before he withdrew his hand entirely.

"Taylor's right, Aleister..." Grace said, stepping over to them slowly. "Even if it's true, it doesn't change anything. I love the man I've gotten to know, no matter what his past was." She said, her dark hands taking his pale one between them imploringly.

"I don't deserve it. I was a fool..." Aleister scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief, as he peered down at her curiously. "The time you spent, thinking I had betrayed you all... Alone in that god forsaken cell. It broke my heart to see you in there, Grace. But still, I continued to-"

"We are  _not_  talking about that tonight." Grace said firmly, scowling up at him, as his cheeks flushed in guilt and embarrassment.

"What's important," Sean said, smiling warmly as the rest of the group converged around them, startling the pale boy. "Is that you know, no one here is going to see you any differently." He said, clapping Aleister on the shoulder briefly, as sorrow flooded across the pale boys face briefly.

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Taylor said, beaming a tired but broad grin at his friend, as Jake strolled back over and rolled his eyes at his cocky attitude.  _"This_  is what family is, Aleister."

Aleister huffed, lowering his head in shame as the others grouped around them in concern. "Hey." Grace said, capturing his face in her palms and forcing him to raise his head.  _"Look_  at me."

"... Yes?" The pale boy replied, reluctantly raising his eyes to meet her intent gaze.

"You matter to us." She said, gesturing around them all, as they nodded their heads in agreement. "You matter to  _me."_  She added in a quiet and barely audible whisper, as she pulled him down into a tight hug.

Aleister sighed deeply and sniffed away the last of his tears and melancholy, placing a kiss on Grace's head before looking around with a soft smile. "Thank you, everyone."

"Not to interrupt," Zahra said loudly, clearing her throat to interrupt the emotionally charged moment. "But, did we get The Islands Heart to where it needed to go?"

"Hmm, well," Taylor hedged, looking over at her with a lopsided grin. "It's kinda a good news, bad news situation, Snape..." He said, as Sean snorted at his blatant understatement.

"I think its with the rest of Vaanu now." Quinn said thoughtfully, as Taylor nodded his head in agreement, though he looked at the ground, frowning at Vaanu's cryptic departing words. "The presence feels more...  _complete."_

"Just in time for Tantrum of the Opera to swoop in and make off with our magic chandelier." Jake snarled, as Taylor winced, glancing up at his scowling expression guiltily.

"Oh, you uh, you saw that, huh..?" He asked, clearing his throat as he shrugged his shoulders lightly and stepped closer, barely peeking up at the pilot as he wrapped himself around his arm affectionately. "Did uh, did you... see anything, um...  _else?"_  He asks unsubtly, trailing his fingers over Jake's hand gently.

"Hmm?" Jake hummed, raising a brow as he looked down at him. "What, like  _you_  fallin' apart and a big blast of freaky ass light eruptin' from ya, which melted away Moon Mans barrier?" He asked, as Taylor hummed and shrugged dismissively. "Nope, can't say I saw any of that  _at all_." Jake drawled, shaking his head as he pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"You know, you're  _not_  clever." Taylor snarked, peeking up at the pilot guiltily, only to look back at his fingers trailing over Jake's delicately. "But, just out of curiosity... Why haven't you kicked my ass yet?"

"Not sure if it can handle it at the moment, if I'm bein' honest." Jake sighed, freeing his arm from Taylors grasp so he could wrap it around his shoulders and draw him closer. "Don't worry though, I'll remember for later." The pilot promised, patting Taylors ass with a smirk, as Taylor grinned and wiggled his eyebrows hopefully.

 _"Way-way-wait..!"_  Craig said slowly, before Taylor could make any smart comments, the jocks eyes widening in distress. "So, Rourke has the Heart?!"

"Yeah, but he won't be able to do anything with it." Taylor huffed in airy amusement, flashing a crooked grin around his friends as they turned to him in shock. "There's still a piece missing." He giggled, as Jake frowned down at him in confusion.

"And how do  _you_  know that?" He asked, his expression clouding suspiciously as Taylor grinned gleefully.

"Well, duh... I'm magic obviously." He said, sniggering at the long suffering sighs which erupted around him. "Now you see me..." He said, before pressing the button on his palm. "Now you don't..!" He sniggered, swatting Jake's ass before deactivating the suit, his goofy grin meeting Jake's scowl. "See?  _Magic..."_  He whispered, leaning forward slowly to kiss Jake's nose, only to dissolve into giggles before he could accomplish his desire.

"Is he, uh..?" Mike asked hesitantly, watching Taylor curiously, as he tried to calm himself down again. "...  _okay?"_

"He's just an idiot," Jake sighed, shaking his head affectionately as he turned to his friend. "More so, when he's exhausted; physically and emotionally." He explained with obvious exasperation, as Taylor hummed and buried his face in his pilots jacket.

Estela moved to lead them forward, only to stop abruptly, frozen in place as she peered toward a thicket up ahead of them. "Watch yourselves." She warned sharply, glancing back as she dropped into a defensive crouch. "We're not alone."

Taylor looked up upon hearing movement in the trees, blinking vacantly as a massive beast sprung out onto the trail.  _ **"Rrrrrrrhhh..."**_  The sabertooth growled, as Varyyn broke into a wide grin.

"T'kal!" He called, approaching the giant cat to stroke its massive head affectionately. "My friend!" He said, leaning his head to the beasts, as the huge cat began to purr.

Taylor grinned suddenly, as he noticed Taari perched upon the mighty sabertooths back, clinging to his fur tightly. "Varyyn!" The child gasped, his eyes widening as he looked around the group in surprise. "And the Cat-a-lissus!"

"Hey, Li'l Blueberry." Jake said, beaming a wide grin at the child, melting Taylors heart as he hummed and leaned his face against the pilots shoulder. "How ya been?" Jake asked, raising a brow at Taylors increasing affection, though he grinned in amusement.

Taari looked around the group again, before glancing back at Elyys'tel. He turned, his eyes remaining wide as he looked towards Taylor hopefully. "You're all coming home too?" He asked eagerly.

"Looks that way!" Taylor snickered, beaming at the child fondly. He moved away from Jake's side, approaching the child to briefly ruffle the small boys hair, though he was careful not to move too sharply, under the sabertooths watchful gaze.

 _"Yaaaay!"_  Taari cheers, giggling madly as he scooped up handfuls of T'kal's fur. "Race you there!" The child cried, as he grinned and giggled at them all.

 ** _"Rrrah!"_**  T'kal purred happily, as Taari dug his small heels into the beasts sides and tugged on his fur to turn him. The sabertooth took off with Taari, down the rainforest trail towards Elyys'tel.

"Was that..." Mike choked, staring after the pair in wide eyed shock.

"A little boy on a sabertooth tiger." Kele said, swallowing heavily as he too stared after the pair in wide eyed disbelief. "I saw it too, you're not crazy..."

"T'kal may let you ride him too..." Varyyn said, glancing at them both slyly. "If he doesn't think you'd make a better snack." He sniggered, before breaking into a loping run after the child and sabertooth, pausing only to throw Diego on his back.

"Hey! No fair!" Taylor called, pouting as he moved to follow the sabertooth. "I don't have anything to ride..!" He called, about to break into a run, when Jake to grabbed his hand.

"I got something for you to ride," the pilot murmured in his ear, leaning close as Taylor gasped in feigned shock, his eyes glittering with delight. "But you gotta wait til later. Now  _behave._  You're enough trouble when ya not on whatever exhaustion, sleep deprivation trip you're currently on... C'mon, Boy Scout, get a grip." He huffed, hissing in shock suddenly when Taylor stepped closer with a mischievous smirk, his hand palming the pilots crotch discreetly.

"I thought you wanted me to  _get a grip_..." He said innocently, winking at Jake's unimpressed glare. "I was just doing what you  _told_  me to..." He added, a sly grin curling his lips as his amusement broke through his stoic façade. "Did you want me to  _not_   _get a grip_  after al-" he giggled, as Jake scowled and captured his lips in a brief but heated kiss, making him squirm with building desire.

"You are gonna be the death of me, Taylor." The pilot finally mumbled, his stubbled cheek scratching over Taylors jaw affectionately, before he drew away.

"Oh no, no,  _no..."_  Taylor said, shaking his head as he winked and withdrew his hand. "I'll be many things for you, but never  _that._  Now... After that child!" He cried, dashing off after Taari, Varyyn and Diego before Jake could grab a hold of him again.

Taylor heard his pilot groaned in frustration, and laughed as he dashed almost drunkenly down the path, giggling at his stumbling attempts to catch up with his friends. He darted down the rainforest path, tripping as he broke through the end of the forest into Elyys'tel.

"Godammit, Taylor..." Jake sighed, catching him before he could crash indignantly to the floor. "Why'd you have to be such a  _goddamn_  idiot?" He huffed, pulling Taylor back to his feet carefully.

"All part of my...  _chaaarm..."_  Taylor said, yawning tiredly as he leaned into the pilots arms. "Okay, so... running may have been a bad idea." He admitted, resting his head to Jake's shoulder briefly, as the pilot sighed and held him close.

 _"Haha,_  man, Taylors trippin' even without any of Raj's special blends!" Craig laughed, shaking his head as he pat Taylor on the back with more force than he meant to, causing Taylor to whine in complaint. "Oops, sorry bro." He sniggered, as Jake snorted and led the way through the great tree city.

Taylor hummed in protest, leaning against his pilots side as they trekked up the grand staircase and along the familiar route to the throne room, where they found Diego awaiting them with a smug grin. "Heh, no one can catch a Vaanti at full pace." He sniggered proudly.

"Psh, I get  _Jake_  at full pace." Taylor muttered mutinously, sticking his tongue out as Diego frowned in confusion. "So I win."

"Dude, that doesn't even-" Diego began, as the rest of the group sniggered knowingly.

"You wanna just ignore him at this point," Jake sighed, though he wore a smug smirk as he jostled Taylors shoulders in amusement. "Boy Scout's passed the point of coherent thought or mind to mouth filters, just now."

Diego raised a brow as Taylor raised his head and sniggered gleefully, about to say something further when Jake sighed and clapped his hand over Taylors mouth. "Look, Short Stuff; he's being rude, if you  _really_  need me to explain it to ya, I can..." He said, as Taylor giggled behind the pilots hand and wiggled his brows proudly, while Diego flushed in sudden realisation. "Let's just get this over with so he can go to sleep, 'cause right now he's runnin' on fumes and close to useless." He added, releasing Taylor as Diego cleared his throat and led them all inside.

Moments later, they were gathered within the audience hall, where Seraxa greeted them all. "It is good to see you again, Catalysts." She said, offering her hand to Taylor, who gripped it tightly and grinned happily.

"I missed you, Seraxa." He sighed, falling back to Jake's side, as the green skinned woman greeted the others with a similar firm hand gripping. "There wasn't anywhere near enough grumpiness or anger among us."

"I dunno, I think Jake got plenty pissed at you on occasion..." Diego hummed, grinning as Taylor grimaced and turned away to watch as Varyyn seated himself on his throne. He flushed, clearing his throat as he glanced up at Jake, who winked at him and grinned smugly.

Taylor sniggered, humming fondly as he looked back to watch Seraxa, as she reverently lowered Varyyn's crown onto his head, and dropped to one knee. "We are grateful to see your return, my Elyyshar." She said, her expression turning somber.

"Rise, Seraxa." Varyyn said, frowning in concern, as he watched her slowly comply. "Something troubles you?" He asked knowingly, as Seraxa sighed dejectedly.

"Raan'losti has brought destruction upon the island, and our people worry for their future." The war chief explained, her unusually quiet tone sobering Taylor somewhat, as his heart ached for the Vaanti.

"I have hope that we will persist." Varyyn said, smiling at Seraxa fondly. "Just as we have, for centuries." He added, as Taylor frowned thoughtfully, wanting to wipe the sad uncertainty from Seraxa's eyes.

"The volcano won't erupt again." He said slowly, carefully choosing his words as he struggled with his confusing haze of exhaustion. "All anyone needs to worry about is Rourke, and he can't do much without the missing piece of Vaanu's core."

"That... is heartening to hear Catalyst." Seraxa said, perking slightly at the confirmation, as Taylor grinned giddily; pleased to have been able to cheer the usually stoic Vaanti. "But," she added, as Taylor huffed and frowned. "Not all in Elyys'tel understand such matters..." She said, her face falling again as she shook her head sadly. "There are many who feel... we should postpone, Niala'rei. Until the crisis has ended."

"Oh no..." Quinn gasped, clasping her hands behind her back as she frowned sadly. "Really?" She asked, her cheeks puffing as she pouted at the war chief curiously.

"Surely everyone needs a reason to celebrate," Michelle reasoned, exchanging a concerned glance with Sean, as the athlete slid his hand into hers. "Now, more than ever."

"Perhaps." Seraxa sighed, as Taylor frowned and tried to force his sleep fogged mind to cooperate, attempting to think of something he could say to help. "The village will expect an announcement on the matter. What would you have me tell them, Elyyshar?" She asked, shaking her head briefly as she hesitantly looked towards Varyyn.

The Elyyshar furrowed his brow, clearly unsettled by the revelation. "I..." He hedged, glancing around and swallowing heavily, as Taylor felt a sudden warmth bloom in his heart. "I'm not sure..." Varyyn said hanging his head in defeat, as Taylor recalled the words of someone who the Vaanti would all be inspired by.

"Tell them; ' _Some Choices Must Last'."_  He said, smiling softly as Jake raised a brow at him in surprise.

"Did you just say something moderately sensible. and actually helpful?" The pilot asked in disbelief, grinning at him in amusement.

"Shut up, you're spoiling my moment of glory." Taylor said, swatting his shoulder with a sly but affectionate glance toward his pilot, winking briefly as hee chuckled quietly. He turned back to the Elyyshar, as Varyyn looked towards him in astonishment, remembering his mothers final words. "Niala'rei is your peoples most sacred tradition... You shouldn't abandon who you are, just because we're in difficult times." He said, hiding a yawn behind his hand as Jake blinked at him in surprise.

"Do you  _know_  how proud I am to be your friend, Taylor?" Diego asked, his huge grin all but consuming his face as he beamed over at him proudly.

 _"Hell yeah!"_  Craig cheered, throwing his fist in the air as he grinned widely. "I get so  _pumped_  when you do that!" He said, as Taylor frowned and glanced at Jake uncertainly.

" _What did I do_..?" He asked in a confused whisper, leaning in close to the pilots ear, only for Jake to snort and refuse to answer.

"Believing in the future sometimes means breaking with tradition." Estela said, frowning at Taylor, as he wrinkled his nose at her distastefully.

"Please, tell the people what Taylor has suggested, Seraxa." Varyyn said, pausing as his expression turned thoughtful. "In fact... please tell them that, in light of the recent unsettling events; we will re-immerse ourselves in our history, and we shall revive an old tradition..." He said, sitting straighter in his throne as he smiled at the war chief. "Let them know, that we must make this Niala'rei the greatest Elyys'tel has ever seen. Let them know we shall invoke, The Ailopin Oru."

Seraxa's eyes widened briefly, before she chuckled and bowed, grinning at him widely. "It shall be done, my Elyyshar." She said, winking at Taylors confused expression, as she straightened and took a step back.

"And do not punish Taari too harshly for sneaking off..." Varyyn added quickly, causing Seraxa's smug expression to curl into a grimace of frustration. "He is simply young, and interested in the world."

"Hm." Seraxa grunted disdainfully, before departing through the large doors. Varyyn sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully for a moment, before turning towards them all with an excited grin.

"Rest well tonight, my friends." He said, pushing to his feet. "A momentous day awaits us!" He said, turning to Diego with a brief glimmer of remorse. "I must leave to make preparations; this will be the most  _magnificent_  Niala'rei in over a century!" He enthused, kissing Diego's cheek briefly before dashing quickly from the audience hall.

"Uh..." Diego coughed, clearing his throat as his cheeks stained pink. "I guess that's all folks?" He hedged, as Taylor sniggered and tugged on Jake's jacket sleeve.

"Bedtime?" He asked, his brows raising hopefully, as the pilot snorted and laughed at him.

"Taylor if you're not asleep the second your head hits a pillow..." Jake snarked, flashing a cocky, knowing grin. "Then I'll give back the fifty bucks I won, fair and square, playing poker with Captain America and Malfoy."

"Hmm, that's a weak reason for me to win a bet." Taylor sighed, the motion transforming to a yawn midway. "Guess I'll have to win simply to deflate your ego..." He hummed tiredly, as they made their way out of the audience hall.

"Sure thing, Boy Scout." Jake snorted, waving off the others, as everyone moved off to find their way to sleeping quarters among the branches of the great tree. He led Taylor carefully back to the small hut they'd commandeered on their previous stay in Elyys'tel, pulling his bag over his shoulder and setting it on the floor beside the door. "C'mon, Taylor, time to sleep." He said quietly, drawing him toward the small bed, when Taylor frowned and stopped in his tracks.

"I am  _not_  wearing this thing  _any_  longer than I need to, and that includes while sleeping." He groused, tugging at Fiddlers armour and unzipping it quickly, kicking it across the floor before he fell to the bed gratefully. Jake chuckled, and folded himself around Taylor, drawing him close as he nuzzled his brow affectionately. "Hmm, still 'wake, Top Gun. Looks like ya out fif'y... bus-" Taylor mumbled, curling himself into Jake's embrace as the pilot huffed and kissed him softly.

"Shut up and go to  _sleep,_  Taylor." He murmured quietly, though Taylor was already passed hearing, lost to the darkness if exhaustion which rushed to claim him.

If Taylor dreamt, he did not recall it when he awoke, in the early hours of the following morning. He blinked, startled to find himself curiously refreshed and indeed, filled with a building sense of excited energy. He turned himself over gently, propping his head on his hand, to grin down at Jake while the pilot still slept.  _Hmm... To wake or not to wake, that is the question._.. He thought, tiptoeing his fingers across the sheets towards his pilots torso, only to pause, his eyes flicking lower.  _Or perhaps it's not... Perhaps it's merely, how to wake..._  He hummed and bit his lip, momentarily torn as he battled briefly with his own desire for the pilot.

He huffed a small sigh, pouting as he brushed the pilots hair from his face, before he withdrew his hand entirely. After another moment of consideration, he slipped carefully from the bed, moving to his bag to find himself some clothes. He paused as he rummaged through his bag, his hand curling around a small hard object, which he withdrew with a small grin. _Huh, almost forgot all about you._.. He thought fondly, glancing back to his pilot, as he turned the small golden nugget over in his hands.  _Jake the bad influence. I wonder what might've happened, if I'd been the one to land in his lap_... He huffed in amusement, recalling their disastrous mine cart ride.  _Maybe I'd have 'blown' his mind a little sooner... Hell, maybe we'd have got-_  he paused suddenly, his amusement fading as he looked down at the hunk of precious metal in his hand. He turned it thoughtfully, a slow smirk building as an idea formed in his head.

He set nugget back in his bag and grabbed the adventure gear Quinn had found for him, dressing quickly and barely strapping his shoulder harness into place before he threw his bag over his shoulder and moved towards the door. He glanced back at Jake, grinning broadly at the pilots soft snoring, before he stepped out of the hut eagerly; into the flower strewn catwalks of Elyys'tel, though he barely noticed the decorations as he set off to hunt down the Elyyshar.

"Varyyn!" He called, finally stumbling across his friend by a group of Vaanti shopkeepers, who quickly bowed to their Elyyshar and withdrew, giving them some privacy.

"Taylor, my friend! I am surprised to see you awake so early..." Varyyn said, greeting him with a wide grin and a firm but brief, grip of his hand. "I had thought you would-"

"Varyyn, I need your help..." Taylor said quickly, causing the Elyyshar's brows to rise in surprise. "I'm sorry. Excited... But look, I was wondering; do you have someone like a blacksmith? I mean, someone who can melt and mold gold?" He asked, as the Elyyshar chuckled at him curiously.

"Of course... Our jeweller is quite renowned for her workings with many materials; gold included. Come, I'll take you there." Varyyn offered, tipping his head for Taylor to follow him, as he moved away through the city. "May I ask what you're after..?" He asked, as he led Taylor through the nearly empty pathways.

"Huh? Oh..." Taylor hedged, blushing as he gripped his bag tightly. "Well, I uh, I have some gold and I wanted to get something made out of it... It's kinda, a keepsake, I guess? A... A  _symbol."_  He finally stammered, his cheeks flushing with heat as he struggled to find the words to explain.

"Ah, symbols can be very powerful things..." Varyyn said, nodding his head in understanding, though Taylor himself felt more confused then ever. "This is the place you seek." He said, pointing to a small hut as they approached it.

 _"This..?"_  Taylor asked, his heart racing as he bit his lip nervously. He took a deep breath as they stepped up to the door, Varyyn reaching out to knock firmly. "Are you sure they won't mind me asking..?" He asked, fidgeting as they heard footsteps approach the door from within.

"Aye?" Called a rattling voice, as a gnarled hand pulled the door open. "What can I be doin' for ye? Oh, great Elyyshar, many thanks for yer honour upon my door..."

"Greetings, Auri, I have a friend of mine who has a request to ask of you." The Elyyshar explained, gesturing towards Taylor expectantly.

"Uh..." Taylor hedged, his cheeks flaming as he reached into his bag for the nugget. "I was wondering if you could melt this down for me, and make it into a ring?" He asked, offering the nugget to the elderly Vaanti, as she stepped into the doorway and reached for it curiously.

"Hmm..." She hummed thoughtfully, as Taylor ran his eyes over her in surprise. The Vaanti's long hair had turned white, her eyes seeming to glow almost like a furnace, despite their obvious cloudy film. Her arms were heavily wrinkled and burnt in places, her hands gnarled with age, though noticeably gentle as they turned the lump of gold curiously. "Aye, it can be done... Anythin' especial ye were after?" She asked, looking up at Taylor.

"Uh, no?" He said uncertainly, frowning when Varyyn laughed. "I mean, no. Well, whatever really I just... Anything." He finally said, as the elderly Vaanti snorted in amusement.

"Aye... and, do ye have any measurements fer me to work wi'? Or am I to guess at ye size?" She asked, cackling at the disturbed expression he flashed towards Varyyn.

"I uh, I didn't get a chance to... measure." Taylor admitted, before shaking his head at her and grinning. "But it's fine, its not, strictly, for  _wearing..."_  He said thoughtfully, twisting the hem of his shirt between his fingers, as he bit his lip.

"I'll need a hour, mayhap two." She said, as Taylor grinned and nodded eagerly. "Thankee, Elyyshar, Catalyst." She said, before stepping back and promptly closing the door in their faces.

"She is... not the most sociable." Varyyn said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "But she is remarkable when it comes to her work." He said, turning away and gesturing for Taylor to return with him.

"It's fine... to be honest, it was just a sudden thought anyway. I mean, he might think its sappy, hilarious, or even clichéd..." Taylor huffed, smiling fondly, checking the time on his phone screen quickly, as he fell into step beside his friend. "But still... It'll be something he can take off the island at least. It just, makes it a little easier. Thinking that... something of me will be able to go with him, when they all go home." He said quietly, chuckling at Varyyn's surprised expression.

"You're going to stay on the island?" The Elyyshar asked, pausing at the top of the grand staircase and running his eyes over Taylor curiously.

"Not exactly like I have a choice in the matter." Taylor snorted, nudging the Vaanti's shoulder lightly. "You do remember the state I came back in last time I tried to leave?  _Pretty_  sure there won't be a handy time portal to step through next time..." He said, shaking his head as he looked to the ground.

"Well, yes, I suppose..." Varyyn conceded, frowning as he glanced behind Taylor and drew him over to the audience hall, allowing a group of Vaanti to pass by quickly; their arms loaded with garlands of flowers and other supplies for the Niala'rei, and the mysterious Ailopin Oru festivities. "But I meant, surely, Jake would remain with you?" The Elyyshar said lightly.

Taylor shook his head, sucking his lip between his teeth gently before blowing out a deep breath. "That's not his future." He said at last, smiling at his friend as Varyyn blinked in surprise. "Believe me, I'm by  _no means_  okay with it... But I've had some time to get used to it now. I just, I wanted to be able to give him something to remember me by. Something physical, he  _can_  actually take with him, I mean."

"A ring, though?" Varyyn asked curiously, frowning in thought. "Jake does not seem the type for rings."

"Ha, yeah... Well, like I said, it's a symbol." Taylor said, snickering at Varyyn's confusion. "Tell me someone explained the whole engagement and fiancé thing..?" He asked, his shoulders sagging when the Elyyshar nodded quickly. "Well it's sort of to do with that. See, where we're from; when you marry, uh... that'd be handfast, to you... well, we trade rings. So, I figured, if he could take a ring with him; it could just kinda serve as a reminder. That I'm always his."

"Ah, I see." The Vaanti said, humming as his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "We do not do such a thing, but it is certainly an interesting tradition." Varyyn said, smiling as he met Taylors gaze. "I hope he is impressed with it."

"Who's impressed with what?" Drawled a voice behind Taylor, causing him to yelp and spin in surprise. He found himself face to fave with his pilot, who raised a brow at his guilty expression.

"Breath of the Moon!" He said quickly, clearing his throat as Jake's other brow rose to join the first in a loom of blatant disbelief. "Uh, Varyyn was telling me there would be some at the Ailopin Oru thingy, and I said I thought it was pretty cool when I tried it, and that I thought you would really appreciate it...  _Because,_  you like alcohol." He babbled awkwardly, flushing a guilty shade of pink. "Um, how long have you... been awake?" He asked curiously, scratching the back of his neck.

"'While now." Jake said slowly, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Lost my favourite blanket, and had no 'good morning' either... Was half expectin' to find ya knee deep in trouble, truth be told." He admitted scratching his stubble thoughtfully.

 _"Me? Trouble?"_  Taylor scoffed, grinning lopsidedly at the pilot, as he stepped closer to brush a kid over the corner of his lips. "Perish the thought."

"Taylor has been helping me make preparations," Varyyn said, as Taylor turned to beam at him gratefully. "I didn't realise so much time had passed..." He said bashfully, drawing in a deep breath as he glanced around and grinning as he looked behind them.

Taylor and Jake turned, to witness their friends emerging from various huts and stretching groggily. "Morning guys!" Taylor greeted cheerfully, as the morning sun streamed through the branches.

"Mmm, someone make Taylor stop being shiny..." Quinn complained tiredly, as he sniggered and walked over to her, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder, as she glared at him avcusingly. "How can you always wake up so energetic? You were so wiped out last night, I was sure you were gonna sleep right through the day!" She said, frowning as she looked him over briefly.

"I woke up awhile ago to be fair, but I dunno..." He replied, shrugging his shoulders dismissively as he beamed a wide grin at her. "Just  _lucky_  I guess!" He sniggered, jostling her fondly as she rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the Niala'rei decorations.

"Oh, wow..." She gasped, as they peered around together, Taylor noticing some of the more intricate decorations for the first time. "It's so beautiful!" She exclaimed, as Taylor nodded in silent agreement.

He looked around at the exotic delicacies, which were laid out on platters too numerous to count, beneath colourful garlands. "Guys, check out Raj." Craig snickered, a huge grin on his face as he pointed to the large boy, whose eyes were the size of gummi rings.

"Look at these cakes!" He cried, flitting from platter to platter, as his eyes raked over each one almost urgently. "The glazed fruit! The petit fours!" He exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief as he examined everything in detail.

"I'm sure they won't mind if we grab a few things to go." Zahra said, exchanging a sly glance with Craig, and they grinned wickedly. "Or a bag full."

Taylor looked around the Vaanti couples who began emerging from various huts throughout the great tree, all coming to stand hand in hand across the city's many platforms. He tilted his head curiously, noticing that some of them wore a tropical flower tucked behind one ear. He turned as Varyyn brushed past, disappearing through the doors to the audience hall briefly, before emerging on a high balcony to address the crowd.

"My beloved people of Elyys'tel..." He called, beaming a wide grin across everyone gathered below him. "It is said that in each of us, there is a seed that waits for the nourishing presence of the one whom we are destined." He said, causing Taylors heart swell with affection at his words. "If you have found that one, join hands with them now, to signify the beginning of your journey together."

Taylors heart stopped, as he caught movement from the corner of his eye, turning to find Jake walking towards him with a wide smile. "Boy Scout," he said, holding out his hands as he threw him a cocky wink. "What do you say you and I go make ourselves into an 'us'?" He asked, as Taylor choked, trying to remember how to breathe.

He swallowed heavily, looking down at Jake's awaiting hands briefly before looking up at the pilot, searching his cerulean eyes. A slow smile grew on his lips, as he placed his hands in Jake's and clasped them tightly. "I'd say 'yes' and 'its about damn time'." He said, biting his lip as Jake snorted and knocked their heads together.

"Had me worried you'd changed ya mind for a minute there, Boy Scout..." The pilot huffed, his clear eyes dancing with joy as his gaze met Taylors.

"Heh, I just like to keep you on your toes, Top Gun..." Taylor replied glibly, as his stomach began to tie itself into knots, excitement and nervous anticipation colliding. "And... admittedly a little surprised. I didn't think you'd be quite so eager-" he began, only to be cut off by his friends, as they applauded and cheered loudly.

Taylor broke into a laugh, as Raj ran around high-fiving everyone excitedly.  _"Yeahhhh!"_  The large boy cried, his wide smile almost too large for his face in his joy.

"This is just..." Diego half sobbed, brushing beneath his eyes with the back of his hand. "I can't believe my best friend's getting..." He tried again, only to grimace as he tried to keep himself from crying any more. "Oh, Taylor, I'm  _so_  happy!" He finally choked, as Taylor laughed at him.

"Yeah, happy is what you look right now, assbutt." He snorted, nudging his friend with his hip fondly.

"Who would've thought?" Zahra snarked sarcastically, chuckling to herself as Taylor huffed and rolled his eyes. "Grats, Taylor!" She called, bumping her fist to his shoulder and then doing the same to Jake, though Taylor noticed his own jab was much lighter.

"They're so amazing together..." Grace cheered, as she and Quinn held hands and giggled together, causing Taylor to narrow his eyes at then suspiciously.

"Taylor! Oh my  _god,_  I can't believe you're really doing it!" Quinn squealed joyfully, releasing Grave's hand as she hopped over to him excitedly and kissed his and Jake's cheeks.

"Time for lovebirds to do what lovebirds do, huh?" Kele asked, his cheeks dimpling as he smiled over at them.

Mike smiled and placed a hand on Jake's shoulder, causing Taylors giddy expression to instantly morph into a petulant scowl, much to both pilots amusement. "Proud of you, Grandpa." Mike said, beaming at his friend fondly, as Taylor grumbled and looked away, allowing them a moment.

"Best man?" Jake asked, his wide grin never fading as he barely took his eyes from Taylor, save for a brief glance at his friend.

"Would've been offended if ya asked anyone else." Mike replied, clapping his shoulder again briefly, before stepping around him to nudge Taylor playfully. "Looks like ya were wrong, huh?" The soldier asked lowly, causing him to frown in confusion.

Taylor was about to ask what the soldier meant, when he saw Varyyn coming towards him across a catwalk, with an exquisite silken garment draped across his arms. "Congratulations, Taylor." The Elyyshar said, grinning gleefully as he offered the garment to him. "I had a feeling after this morning, that you might need this."

Michelle pushed Raj put of the way, in her eagerness to get a closer look. "That fabric, is lighter than air... and the  _colour!"_  She gasped, running her hand over the garment almost reverently.

"It is a robe my father wore, during his handfasting to my mother." Varyyn explained fondly, his eyes locked onto Taylor, as he bit his lip and stared at the offered robe in awe. "Made from the finest silk and jewellery we Vaanti can produce." He said pointedly, as Taylor snapped his eyes up to meet the Elyyshar's gaze, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Taylor, we've  _got_  to see how it looks on you!" Diego gasped, waving his hands to the nearest hut eagerly. "Come on, come on already!" He pressed, darting over to Taylor and gently moving the outfit to his arms, before he began forcibly pushing him towards the hut.

"Hey, I can get there myself, ya know?" He huffed, scowling at Diego over his shoulder, though his lips twitched with amusement.

"Dude, you're too  _slow!"_  Diego sniped waspishly, shoving him into the hut. "Change, now, assbutt!"

"Geez,  _bossy..."_  Taylor snarked, gently laying the garments over a table and running his hand over them in wonder. "Wow..." He breathed, before dumping his bag beside them quickly and throwing it open. He pulled off his shoulder harness and tossed it uncaringly to his bag, quickly peeling his shirt over his head to follow it, before hopping as he struggled to remove his trousers.

He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, grinning as he lifted the robe and wrapped it around his waist, tying it carefully before tentatively smoothing the silken fabric down. He ran a finger over the delicate jewellery, huffing in amusement as his eyes devoured the intricate detail.  _And to think, all I asked for was a plain and boring ring.._. She must have been so insulted. He thought with a sniff, as he picked up the wide collar of jewelled filigree, frowning in frustration as he struggled to lace it up behind his neck.

When he finally had it looped into a loose but secure bow, he grabbed the final item, a pendant of similar quality, which glittered as he lowered it over his head. He inhaled deeply, looking down at himself and grinning excitedly. He glanced at his phone, checking the time on the screen to find it had been almost an hour and a half since he'd dropped off his nugget with Auri. He but his lip, his heart lurching in eager anticipation as he quickly shoved his things into his bag and lifted it to his shoulder, pausing to try and calm his giddy smile before exiting; only to give up and stroll out anyway. "I  _love_  it!" He said, beaming at the Elyyshar, as he walked back to the group. "Thank you  _so_  much, Varyyn."

"The best thing ever,  _just_  got even better!" Diego gasped, narrowing his eyes briefly as he snatched Taylors bag from his shoulder with a scowl. "Well,  _now_  it did." He amended, beaming a huge, proud grin to his friend.

"And  _that,"_  Michelle said, pointing to Taylor with a cocky wink and a wide grin. "Is how to look like a  _god_  on your wedding day."

"It suits you, Taylor." Aleister said quietly, his eyes running over him with obvious approval, as Grace curled into his side and sighed happily. Furball sat down at Taylors feet, gazing up at him in wonder, his ears pricking attentively as Taylor giggled.

He looked over at Jake as he heard his pilot blow out a deep breath, to find him running his eyes over him hungrily. "... Gonna be hard for me to concentrate with you looking like  _that,_  Boy Scout." He said, grinning crookedly as his clear eyes shone with desire and anticipation, stealing Taylors breath and causing his heart to swell with excitement and affection combined. He barely noticed as Varyyn turned towards Jake, his heated gaze locked with his pilots until he started guiltily, realising the Elyyshar was speaking to his pilot.

"Seraxa has prepared special attire for you, as well." He said warmly, grinning at the pilot, as Jake blinked and glanced over, his cheeks staining with colour as he snapped out of his own dazed state.

"Wizard robes?" He scoffed, looking over at Taylor and clicking his tongue in awe, before winking at him cockily. "They look really,  _really_  great on Boy Scout, but I think I'll pass. Thanks..." He said, his attention returning to Taylor and his gaze filling with affection, as he watched Taylor rock onto his toes excitedly.

Their attention was stolen from each other however, when Varyyn looked past the pilot to Diego. The Elyyshar's gaze softened, and he walked towards him through the falling petals; and as Taylor gasped and gripped Jake's hand tightly, the Elyyshar extended his own hand towards Diego.

"Hm?" His friend hummed, a soft if somewhat clueless grin on his face. "Are we going somewhere?" He asked, as Taylor dropped his head to his free hand and choked in disbelief.

"Diego..." He murmured, shaking his head as he raised his wide eyed gaze to his best friend. Diego frowned as Taylor tipped his head meaningfully towards Varyyn, and then at the various decorations; but to no avail, as Diego's frown only deepened at his charade attempt. "Oh my god, I swear... sometimes you are just the  _dumbest_  smart person I know..." He sighed, before pausing to glance at Aleister. "...  _second dumbest."_  He amended, while Aleister frowned at him curiously, as he began to giggle at his own joke.

"Diego Ricardo Ortiz Soto, I have something I wish to ask you..." Varyyn clarified, grinning fondly as Diego's eyes widened in sudden realisation.

Taylor bit his lip, his hand tightening around Jake's as Diego gasped and brought both hands to his mouth, trying to keep from sobbing. "...  _Y-yes?"_  He asked uncertainly, worrying his lip between his teeth.

"I knew from the very first moment I saw you, that I wanted to be with you." Varyyn said slowly, as Taylor snorted quietly and rolled his eyes, recalling the Vaanti's original intentions to capture them. "I love you, Diego. I want to be with you always... Would you bring joy to my people, and to each other, for the rest of our lives?" He asked, as Diego choked and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I..." He said, hesitating suddenly as his face fell uncertainly. "Varyyn... just a second, okay?" He asked, backing away a step, as Varyyn nodded and lowered his hand slowly. Diego held out his palms to the elyyshar briefly, before he ran to Taylor quickly, drawing him away from Jake urgently. "Taylor,  _oh god_!" He gasped, as Taylor raised a brow at his reaction, wondering if his own had been so dramatic in comparison. "I just... Should I say yes?!"

"Dude...  _Why_  are you asking  _me?"_  Taylor snorted, shaking his head fondly, as Diego ran a hand through his hair in distress.

"Because you're my friend and I thought you might help me?!" Diego snarked, throwing him a withering glare as Taylor sniggered.

"Know better now, dont'cha?" He said, grinning as Diego rolled his eyes at his smug aura.

"Dude, you..." Diego sighed, biting his lip as he glanced at Varyyn and Jake briefly, as the pilot distracted the Vaanti king. "You're doing this with Jake... You're  _marrying_  him,  _knowing_  he's going to leave. With me and Varyyn;  _I'm_  gonna be the one leaving..." He said, his eyes welling with tears as he turned back to Taylor, whose heart melted in sudden understanding. "I don't know... I want to,  _so_  bad... But my head just keeps reminding me; I have to go home after this, I have to-"

"You know,  _personally..."_  Taylor interrupted, humming thoughtfully as he smiled softly. "I found it a whole lot easier to make a decision, once I  _stopped_  listening to my head, and started listening to my  _heart..."_  He said gently, taking Diego's hands in his own and forcing his friend to meet his eyes. "Diego... What does  _your_  heart say?"

"Like, 'yes' screamed from the top of a mountain..!" Diego choked, laughing giddily as Taylor chuckled at him.

"Well then, what're you doin' talking to me, ya idjit?" He asked, turning his friend back towards Varryn with a huge grin. "Go let him hear your voice, assbutt!" He said, tapping Diego's back gently.

Diego ran into Varyyn's arms, throwing his own around the Elyyshar's shoulders. "Varyyn..." He gasped, breaking into a wide grin as he gazed up at the Vaanti adoringly. "All my yes, and then some!" He said, hiccupping a half sobbed laugh as Varyyn hoisted him into the air joyfully.  _"Oh!"_

"Thank you, Diego!" The Elyyshar gasped, beaming down at him in blatant adoration. "Thank you so much!" He cried, as he slowly lowered Diego into his arms, where they gazed at each other in silent wonder.

Diego reached up to cup the Vaanti's cheek, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. "I guess I felt it from day one too... You had me at 'hello'." He whispered, before he and Varyyn shared a tender kiss, while Taylor and the rest of their friends all cheered.

 _"Ohhh,_  Diego!" Grace gasped, clapping her hands together eagerly, her eyes wide as she beamed at him. "I'm so happy!"

"You two are great together!" Sean said, moving closer to clap Diego on the shoulder, jolting him from the intimate kiss with the Elyyshar suddenly. "Glad it's finally official."

"Variego forever!" Quinn cried jubilantly, exchanging an excited glance with Grace, as Taylor snickered knowingly.

"I don't believe it! A double wedding!" Raj exclaimed, his eyes wide as he peered around the group in awe, before settling his gaze onto Varyyn. "Has this  _ever_  happened in the history of the Vaanti?!" He demanded, as Varyyn tilted his head at him curiously.

"Well, yes." The Elyyshar said with a soft snicker. "On  _every_  Niala'rei, all of those who love each other are handfasted." He explained, frowning st the large boys incredulous expression.

"Oh..." Raj said calmly, before breaking into another wide and excited grin. "...  _It's still amazing!_ " He burst, all but vibrating with restless energy and excitement.

Varyyn loving stroked Diego's cheek, then turned to address the crowd fro the central platform. "Beloved people of Elyys'tel, the Great Hall stands open for our ceremonies! Let Niala'rei commence!" He cried, as cheers and ululations of joy rose throughout the tree. "Also, to mark the very auspicious occasion, and to prove that these troubled times hold no fear over our people; join me, and my friends afterwards, in the reignited ceremony of Ailopin Oru;  _The Endless Night!_ "

The cheers which had previously risen through the tree, increased to a roar of cheering, stamping and clapping; a crescendo of joyous sounds of excitement. Taylor raised a brow, glancing at Diego, who shrugged to show his distinct lack of interest.

Taylor yelped, as Quinn flung her arms around him, distracting him from Varyyn's pronouncement, as his friends all began to exchange hugs and brush tears from cheeks. Gradually, thier ecstatic exchanges began to taper off, as they began to split off to get ready. Jake moved towards Taylor, his gaze soft but filled with intent, only to be drawn away again by Quinn, Mike and Michelle. "Oh, you are  _not_  standing up against Taylor looking like  _that,_  Mr Pilot." The blonde scoffed, shoving him in the direction of the hut she'd shared with Quinn the previous evening.

"I guess... I'll see you soon." Jake huffed in amusement, as Taylor whined for his missed kiss, reaching his arm towards Jake to brush the tips of their fingers together, before the girls batted his pilot from his reach.  _"And..."_  Jake said suddenly, drawing to a halt to meet Taylors gaze with a sappy grin. "I love you, Taylor."

"I love you too, Jake." He called, as Jake allowed himself to be directed away by the girls, while Mike spread his palms towards Taylor; winking at him, before turning to follow the group and help Jake prepare. "Oh, god... This is really-" Taylor whispered, shaking his head in disbelief, as his eyes stung with unshed tears of joy. He watched as Grace and Aleister directed Diego onto a different hut, while Varyyn moved away to make his own preparations. "Wait, Varyyn... Do you want this back?" He called, gesturing to the Elyyshar's fathers robe.

"No, Taylor. Those are my gift to you." Varyyn said, nodding on appreciation of the offer, as he grinned over at him. "I do not need them, all I need is Diego." He said, before disappearing into the audience hall.

Taylor huffed, moving back towards the huts, before realising Diego still had his bag. "Oh, crap..." He muttered, turning and narrowing his eyes, trying to remember which hut his friend had been ushered into. He was distracted by Raj following him however, the large boy scooping up a few treats along the way.

"Alright, Taylor, looks like I'm gonna be your wedding planner!" Raj decided firmly, leaving no choice but for Taylor to grin and accept his aide. "Don't worry, I've done this before... Sort of." Raj assured, as he tried one of the small pastries he'd picked up, and hummed in approval.

"Sort of?" Taylor asked, snorting at Raj's brief guilty grin, before the large boy cleared his throat and broke into a wide grin.

"I've been to at least a dozen weddings!" Raj explained, holding up his finger importantly. "And,  _bonus,_  when I was twelve; I hid in my brother's car, and snuck into his bachelor party!"

"I  _see."_  Taylor hummed thoughtfully, laughing as his wide grin spread further across his face. His heart fluttered with blissful joy, the excitement in his chest bubbling as he thought about giving himself to his pilot; the ultimate show of his affection and devotion.

"First things first; you gotta decide who's going to be your best man." Raj said seriously, raising a brow expectantly as Taylor balked.

"Oh, that's  _hard..."_  He gasped, his eyes wide as he thought of the various bonds he'd formed with his friends. "Which one of the guys should I choose?" He wondered aloud, frowning in consternation.

"Me." Raj said, before dissolving into a fit of snorting giggles. "Okay, I'll admit a small bias." He chuckled, patting Taylor on the back as he smirked, before turning serious again. "Real talk, though, I'm gonna be pretty busy in the kitchen, so... Probably one of the other dudes." He admitted reluctantly.

"Uh..." Taylor hedged, thinking hard about who he wanted by his side as he took such a huge step.  _Diego is my best friend, but he's gonna be foaming at the mouth to get on with his own ceremony_... He thought fondly, a sappy grin curling his lips.  _Sean and I have come a long way, since the whole friction thing, when we first came here. And Aleister; he despised me when we first arrived... Now I couldn't imagine my life without him, or any of them. They're all so important to me_... He thought, swallowing thickly as he thought of all the things which had passed between them all, over their various lives on the island.  _But, there's one top dude who has always had my back... Other than Diego_... "Craig." Taylor said, grinning as he imagined the jock's reaction.

"Yeah, that's who I woulda picked." Raj admitted fondly, shaking his head and clapping his hands together eagerly. "Okay, now the most important decision..." He said, waving his fingers towards an empty platter. "What kind of meal do you want to have after the ceremony?"

"Oh no dude,  _you're_  the master chef here." Taylor laughed, high fiving the large boy, as Raj puffed his chest out proudly. "Pick something and surprise us... I know whatever you'll make will be amazing."

 _"Awww,_  yeah!" Raj cheered, rubbing his hands together excitedly, as his eyes lit with gleeful delight. "I know  _just_  the thing!" He said, turning to head off, before glancing back with a wink. "And, I'll let your best man know he's up!" He called, joggin towards the kitchens eagerly.

 _I don't know what I possibly did to deserve these people in my life, but I am so grateful they are_... Taylor thought, his heart so filled with emotion that he was sure it might burst. He took a deep breath and tried to calm the rapidly beating organ, but the excitement simmering in his gut made it an impossible endeavour. _I guess I better go see Auri_... He thought, shaking his head as he trotted back along the path he'd taken earlier in the morning with the Elyyshar. With his heart in his throat, he stepped up to the familiar door, and knocked tentatively. "Uh... H-hello?"

For a long pause, there was no response. Just as Taylor was about to knock again, however, the door was pulled open by a gnarled hand. "Aye?" Auri called, frowning as she ran her strangely lit, filmy eyes over Taylor. "Oh, it be ye, Catalyst. Aye, yet trinket be ready." She huffed, turning without a further word to shuffle back inside. She glanced back when she was almost to the opposite side of the room, scowling as she saw Taylor hesitantly waiting by the open door. "Well, are ye waitin' for a formal invite? If ye be expectin' to get back to ye handfastin', ye best get in here." She growled, before continuing through the hut.

Taylor cleared his throat, his cheeks staining with heat as he stepped over the threshold. He followed the elderly Vaanti through the hut awkwardly, trying to make himself as small as possible after her scolding. He raised a brow as she stopped by a small table with three chairs briefly, turning and pointing to a chair firmly, the unspoken order clear. He immediately sat, looking around nervously as the Jeweller hobbled away to collect a small box from an adjoining room.

"Ye have payment?" Audi asked, as she hobbled back, slowly lowering herself to the seat opposite Taylor with a weary sigh.

"I..." Taylor balked, his cheeks flaming in embarrassment as he remembered he didn't have his bag. "My friend took my things... But, I can run and grab it! You can choose whatever you-" he said, pushing to his feet, only for the Vaanti to slap the small box sharply, gesturing back to his chair.

"Ye already have somethin' I want... somethin' only ye can give." The Jeweller said, her disturbingly deep seeing eyes locking onto him. "I want an answer."

"What is it with the Vaanti and questions?" Taylor huffed quietly, as the Jeweller frowned at him in confusion. "Never mind... What do you want to know?" He asked, as the elderly Vaanti leaned slightly closer and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What happened, to Uqzhaal?" Auri asked, as Taylor felt himself flinch and pale in surprise.

"I-" he began, falling silent as he stared at her for a long moment. "He wanted The Endless dead...  _Me,_  dead." He finally admitted, swallowing heavily as he met the elderly Vaanti's unsettling gaze. "The Anachronist Vaanti with him, had just said that it wasn't his place to place blame or cast judgement... But before they could do anything, Rourke-" he paused, scrubbing his eyes with the back of his hand awkwardly. "The Hydra showed up, and threw everything to hell... Like always. I tried to help him, to reach him in time..! But..." Taylor hung his head, clenching his hand into a fist as his other arm scrubbed his eyes again. "I wasn't strong enough."

Taylor fell silent, lowering his eyes to his lap guiltily. "... I always knew the ol' fool'd get hisself in trouble." Auri said, sighing as she shook her head slowly, her eyes awaiting Taylors, as be looked up in surprise. "Uqzhaal was never one to listen to another, once his mind was decided..." She chuckled sadly, pushing the box across the table. "Take these then, wi' the thanks of an ol' woman."

Taylor hesitated, before reaching for the box, frowning as he laid his hand over it; looking back at the Vaanti curiously. "You're not... mad at me? For, everything with The Endless? That I couldn't-"

"Ah, to be young an' so certain that everythin' be yer own fault." Auri chuckled, patting his hand with her gnarled fingers. "Nay, Catalyst, I can'na blame ye. My fool brother made his own choices in life, an' ye aren' at fault for that which he accused ye."

 _"Your..?!"_  Taylor balked, shaking his head as he ran his eyes over the Jeweller with a new perspective, noticing a familiar curl of white ink on her shoulder, partially hidden beneath her hair.

"Aye," Auri cackled, flashing him a toothy grin. "But rest easy, my faith in The Endless faded many a moon ago, an' I hold no judgement for what ye can'na control." She said, chuckling as Taylor shook his head in shock.

"I'm... I'm  _so_  sorry..." He said, leaning on the table as he toyed with the small box, but could not bring himself to open it.

"T'were not of ye doin', Catalyst." Auri said, patting his hand again, and pushing the box slightly closer. "Ye tried to help him, an' he was blind to it. Stubborn, like all who came before him, save I." She said, releasing his hand and gesturing towards the box again. "Now, if ye be plannin' on makin' it back in time, then ye should be lookin' an' leavin', soon."

Taylor bit his lip, glancing up at the Jeweller guiltily, before turning his attention to the box. He gently lifted the lid, and smiled in delight, as he beheld two delicate bands made of gold. "They're  _beautiful..."_  He said quietly, reaching forward to trace his finger over the nearest ring fondly. He frowned, leaning closer as he noticed a small etching on the inside of each one. "What's this..?"

"Andromeda," Auri said, pointing at the first, as Taylor chuckled and shook his head. "An' Lupus." She said, pointing to the other. She grinned, as Taylor raised his questioning gaze to hers, shrugging her shoulders lightly. "Uqzhaal told me of ye affection for the other Catalyst, after ye beat him at  _quuk'tanoi..._  sore about that he were." She admitted, as Taylor swallowed heavily, recalling the amazing day he'd had with the Vaanti; what now seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Whatever he thought of me..." Taylor said quietly, his finger lingering over the Lupus etching. "He didn't deserve what that bastard did to him...  _None_  of them did." He said firmly, his eyes narrowing as he thought of Rourke and the mans smug certainty he would beat them.

"Aye, folk seldom do." Auri agreed, pushing to her feet with a groan. "Now, ye have somewhere ye should be." She said firmly, scowling at him, as he gasped and quickly shut the lid of box.

"I, I  _really,_  can't thank you enough..." He said, scrabbling to his feet and clutching the box tightly to his chest. "This means  _so_  much to me." He confessed, as Auri chuckled.

"Aye, it would." She said knowingly, before shooing him towards her door. "Now off wi' ye, an' be sure ye enjoy the rest of Niala'rei." She huffed fondly, before closing her door in his face.

"I... Uh..." He hedged, raising his hand to knock, before quickly dropping it again. He frowned at the closed door, sighing as he turned away awkwardly. "... Thankyou." He murmured, smiling as he ran his hand over the box, before dashing back up the grand staircase towards the huts nearest the audience hall. He peeked his head into a couple, searching for Diego and his missing bag, before running into Zahra; almost colliding with her in his haste.

"Taylor," she said, narrowing her eyes at the small box he quickly tried to hide behind his back. "Look, I know you're busy with handfasting stuff, but I got something you'll wanna see..." She said, biting her lip uncertainly.

"You know me," Taylor huffed, overly cheerfully as he scratched his ear and flushed pink. "Never too busy to help  _you_  out, Snape." He said, grinning at her as she rolled her eyes and turned away.

Zahra led him to a table, where Craig was perplexedly leafing through a leather-bound book, the sight of which caused Taylor to pause nervously. "This is just full of weird ass writing..." The jock sneered, scowling at Zahra as she approached with Taylor. "The hell you get this from, Z?"

"Beneath the volcano..." Taylor said quietly, setting the small box Auri had given him on the table, as he hesitantly reached towards the book, his fingers curling in the air reluctantly just before they made contact. "It's The Endless's." He said, swallowing thickly as he stepped back from the book, shivering with dread.

"Exactly." Zahra said, stepping forward and laying a hand on Taylors arm to keep him from retreating any further. He glimpsed a page bearing handwritten numbers, and grimaced as he turned towards her accusingly.

"You swiped his notebook?" He asked, raising a brow as he turned back in morbid curiosity. "Snape..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he hummed in distress.

"Unless he was secretly a computer, I don't see what the point is." Craig scoffed, shaking his head with a snort of disgust, as Zahra swatted the back of his head and snatched the book away.

"It's a  _code,_  doofus." She said, rolling her eyes in fond exasperation, as Craig rubbed at his head and pouted. "And, since The Endless is technically the same person as Taylor..." She hedged awkwardly, offering him the book with a raised brow.

"You thought I could decipher it?" He guessed, sighing as he reluctantly held out his hand. Zahra smirked, dropping the book onto his open palm and bumping he rfist to his shoulder.

 _"Exactly."_  She snickered, stepping back to lean against Craig, as the jock curled his arm around her waist without thinking. Taylor took a deep breath, running his hand over the cover of the book, before flipping it open to peruse it cautiously.

 _Seven oh five... Two four six... Three eight one_... He read, frowning at the cube of numbers, carefully set out to take up the entire the first page. "Huh." He hummed, glancing up at Zahra begrudgingly. "Looks like... a math problem?"

"Yeah," Craig said, leaning around Zahra to look around the area with a small frown. "Where's Grace at?" He asked curiously.

"Probably off, awkwardly necking with Aleister." Zahra snorted, beaming as the jock laughed and bumped his fist to hers in appreciation. She locked her eyes on Taylor, smirking as she raised a brow at him challengingly. "Got any ideas on how to solve it?"

"What, you're telling me  _you're_  stumped by this?" Taylor snorted, grinning as she flushed and scowled, showing him her middle finger before looking away in irritation. Taylor snickered, looking back down at the page and its curiously drawn out numbers.  _What about the other way, vertically..? Seven two three... Oh four eight... Five six one..._  "Oh my god that crazy old bastard." Taylor scoffed, as the puzzle suddenly clicked into his mind. "I can't  _believe_  you didn't get this Snape... It's  _twelve."_  He snorted, showing her the page as Zahra's eyes widened in startled realisation. "Up, across, diagonally... No matter which way you add up the numbers, that's what it equals." He said, thumbing the page briefly, before flipping to the twelfth page of the notebook out of curiosity, his stomach turning hollow at what he saw there.

...  _The crystal is clearly sentient. It seems to have drawn four, formidable creatures through time, in order to establish order on the island._ Taylor read, shaking his head slowly as he tried to process The Endless's thoughts from what must of been his original life span _. Sadly, the beasts were driven mad... or perhaps, imbued with the crystals own sense of suffering. If the latter is true, did it in fact create them? Life... born out of a millennia of yearning and limitless energy_... Taylor shivered, shoving the book into Zahra's hands firmly as he scowled at the page hatefully.

 _Lying bastard knew everything. Just because he was clueless once, doesn't mean I forgive everything else he hid._.. He thought scathingly, recalling his journey through Elyys'tels history with his friends, to when Cetus had floated peacefully among the waves.  _The Endless, Vaanu... They're both manipulative assholes, and they'll both lie to get what they want_. He thought, before blinking suddenly, surprised to think such venomous thoughts of Vaanu, when the islands spirit had done nothing but try to help his friends.

"I'd say you cracked it." Zahra said, reading through the page for herself with a small frown, distracting Taylor from his troubled thoughts.

 _"Chyeah,_  Taylors a genius." Craig scoffed, offering his fist for Taylor to bump, much to Taylors amusement. "If you didn't know, now ya know!" He said, folding his arms over his chest with a strangely prideful motion which made Taylor grin stupidly, despite his best efforts to control himself.

"Yeah, was kinda aware, ya doofus." Zahra said, sighing at the jock fondly, as she closed the book and tucked it under her arm.

"Aw, c'mon guys, you're gonna embarrass me and I'm gonna be all red when I walk into the hall..." Taylor complained, feeling his cheeks flush with heat under their affectionate teasing.

"Taylor trust me, you're gonna be just fine." Zahra anorted, picking up his small box from the table and examining it briefly, before tossing it towards him lightly. "You're gonna see Jake waiting, you're gonna do that gross thing where you go all doe-eyed, glow and sparkle and shit-"

"I do  _not_  sparkle!" Taylor protested, as he caught the box with his rings, scowling at her petulantly as she sniggered. "Or any of those  _other things_  you just said..." He added weakly, before breaking into a wide, excited grin. "Guess I'll see you two at the ceremony..!" He said, his heart lurching as a small set of chiming bells indicated the end of a ceremony, the doors soon filled with Vaanti leaving the audience hall in various states of awe and bliss. "Oh  _god..."_  He mumbled, biting his lip as he began to fidget with nervous excitement and anticipation.

"So, Taylor..." Craig said awkwardly, his eyes growing wide as he stepped up beside Taylor, while Zahra left quickly to store The Endless's diary away before the ceremony. "Raj said, you wanted  _me_  to be your best man?"

Taylor snickered at Craig's blatant disbelief, beaming a bright smile at the jock, as he clasped his friend by the arm tightly.  _"Chyeah,_  I do." He demanded fondly, his grin turning sappy as Craig broke out in a brilliant smile.

 _"Awright._  Sweet." The jock said quietly, his grin growing as he puffed out his chest proudly. "Think I like weddings a little more now." He said, bumping Taylors shoulder fondly as they shared an affectionate snicker. His gaze softened, turning serious as he raised a brow at Taylor. "So, you ready to hit the throne room?" He asked.

Taylor took a deep breath, and attempted to collect himself, his heart racing in giddy excitement. He caught his reflection in a glass lantern, a lopsided grin forming as he checked himself over quickly and running a hand through his hair. After more than two thousand lifetimes, I'm finally going to be his... Forever. He thought, his eyes crinkling as a brilliant and joyful smile overtook his face. "Never been more ready." He sighed, biting his lip as he gripped the box in his hand tightly, before offering it to Craig. "Can you keep hold of this for me? Just 'til after? I didn't get a chance to find my bag..."

"You know it, bro." Craig said, snatching the box up and shoving it into his football jersey pocket. "Come on then dude, lets go make you a McKenzie."

 _"Oh my god don't say that._.." Taylor gasped, grabbing his stomach as he was overwhelmed by a tide of nervous bubbles. "That'll make it  _real_  and I'll  _panic_  and  _oh my god... this is really happening. I'm getting marri-"_

"Taylor, bro, you are  _goddamn_  hilarious," Craig laughed, slapping him on the back and pushing him towards the audience hall doors. "But seriously, shut up and get in there. I just decided weddings might be cool. Don't make me regret it."

Taylor snorted despite his rising hysteria, his heart fluttering nervously as he stepped into the doorway. He bit his lip as he saw hundreds of candles glimmering along the walls of the audience hall, shedding a warm glow onto the faces of his friends, as they stood awaiting him excitedly. He exhaled slowly, drawing strength from their presence as he tried to calm his bubbling nerves, and took a determined step inside.  _Here we go... I can do this. Don't trip, don't panic, don't fall on your ass_... He thought, as he proceeded down the aisle, his heart hammering as his cheeks flushed with heat, when everyone began to turn in his direction.

"Here he comes!" Taari gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylor, who bit his lip at the added attention the childs cries drew.

 _"Shh! Inside_  voice, Taari." Seraxa scolded, shaking her head at the boy, as he curled himself closer to her leg, still staring at Taylor in awe.

Quinn gasped upon catching sight of him, bringing a hand to her heart as she bounced excitedly. Taylor narrowed his eyes at the sight of his bag over her shoulder, but before he could say anything to Craig behind him, he met Quinn's eyes; overflowing with joy for him, as she sighed happily. He grinned back at her instead, flashing his teeth in a nervous grin, and causing her to laugh.

"Ah,  _magnifique!"_  Yvonne gasped, her eyes wide as she met his surprised gaze, not having been expecting to see the pirate.

"Indeed." Malatesta agreed, beaming a huge grin Taylors way, and flashing him a cocky wink. He waved indiscreetly by his hip, his heart racing at the thought of having his friends present.

He was about to whisper to them, when he caught sight of Sean a short distance from them, the athletes eyes watery as he beamed a proud smile towards him. He grinned back, affection tugging his heart as Michelle squealed into her hands beside him, her own tears of joy already falling over her cheeks.

Estela simply nodded from beside them, her affection for him glowing in her dark eyes. Taylor nodded back, winking for good measure and successfully making her smile.

He was mid turn, about to glance at the other side of the hall, when his breath caught in his throat; his heart seeming to leap into his throat, as he caught sight if Jake awaiting him at the dais. The pilot had swept his hair back carefully and chosen his suit from the New Years Eve they'd spent together, and Taylor flushed at the sight of his tie, recalling the last time he'd seen it and its inappropriate usage.

Taylors heart melted, his eyes watering at the sight of a ribbon draped across his pilots hands. He bit his lip, forcing himself not to break into a joyful run, as his pilot smirked at him and threw him a cocky wink. Taylor wrinkled his nose, trying not to laugh, and glanced behind Jake; to where Mike was grinning at him broadly.

After what seemed like an eternity, Taylor arrived at the dais to stand beside his pilot, his heart racing furiously against his chest. Jakes cerulean eyes blazed, as he gazed at him hungrily, and shook his head in disbelief. "Taylor," he breathed, pausing to swallow heavily. "You're takin' my breath away here..."

Taylor choked on a half laugh, half sob, his eyes stinging as he beamed joyfully at his pilot. "Believe me, it's mutual." He said thickly, his throat constricting with the overwhelming emotions which suffused him, as he stared at Jake in awe.

Seraxa walked to the top of the dais, drawing everyone's attention as she prepared to conduct their ceremony. "Jake and Taylor, please join hands." She said gently, a soft smile on her face as she watched their hands find each other and clasp eagerly; despite their eyes never leaving each other. Seraxa took the ribbon, and carefully tucked one end between Taylors fingers. He shivered, sucking in a shaky breath, as she began to wrap it several times around both of their hands. "These are the hands of your betrothed. Together, these hands planted the seed of your love."

Taylor lost himself in Jake's intense gaze, the pilot seeming intent on burning every second and slightest reaction into his memory. He smiled softly, and Jake's breath hitched, his hand tightening its grip on Taylors. "These are the hands of your partner." Seraxa continued, a sharp accompaniment to their thoughtless joy. "One who will remain beside you, as you grow and change. They will wipe tears of sorrow, and joy from your eyes." She said, glancing at Taylors cheeks with a knowing grin. "This ribbon, represents the roots between you as a foundation of trust that will deepen, preserving you through storms to come." She explained, as Taylor blinked to try and clear away his tears, too blissful to care that he failed.

Across the audience hall, he caught sight of Varyyn and Diego being joined by another officiant, and he felt a great surge of elation for his friends. Diego happened to glance over, catching Taylors affectionate grin. They smiled at each other wordlessly, as grateful tears formed in Diego's eyes.

"This handfasting," Seraxa said, drawing Taylors attention back to his own service, his eyes returning to Jake's, to find his pilot watching him fondly. "Is a commitment to one another, for a year and a day... And, if you are still in love after that time,  _forever."_  She said, as Taylors heart lurched in desire, wanting nothing more than to belong to his pilot entirely, for as long as he could. Seraxa placed her hand over Taylors and Jake's, before taking a step back. "You may speak your vows to each other." She said quietly, raising a brow at the pair when neither moved.

"Jake..." Taylor began, uncertain of how he could possibly try and put into words how he felt for the other man. "I will nurture your dreams." He said, staring at Jake, as the pilot watched him adoringly. Taylor suddenly felt himself overcome by a huge rush of emotion, his heart seeming too large for his chest. "I love you  _so_  much, I just... want the  _world_  for you. I know, there's been a few times where, I've hidden things from you; trying to protect you, but instead only hurting you more." He said, as Jake swallowed heavily, his jaw tightening as Taylor smiled softly. "So, I will always be honest with you... I know now, how important it is to you, to hear the truth... and, I promise to always speak it." He said, his heart yearning for the pilot, as his cerulean eyes sparked with fire. "I trust you, more than I've  _ever_  trusted... anyone. And I am so,  _so_  grateful, that you're in my life." He said hoarsely, turning his gaze to the floor briefly as his voice failed him, his emotions overwhelming him.

Taylor took a deep breath and averted his eyes to the audience, where he saw Michelle reach for Sean's hand. The athlete glanced down, smiling affectionately as he gripped her hand tightly, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

Across the hall, Aleister held Grace in a tight embrace while she wept softly, moved by his words. He watched as Quinn and Kele's eyes met, lingering in each others gaze with soft smiles, as their cheeks darkened faintly.

"I..." Jake finally replied, his voice thick as Taylor turned back towards him, his eyes dazzling as they radiated disbelief and awe alike. "Think you really have made an honest man out of me, Taylor." He said, blowing a deep breath of air towards his hair. "I wanted this for... so long." The pilot confessed, his expression turning sombre, as Taylors jaw dropped in surprise. "But, it wasn't until a little while ago that I realised... just how much I  _needed_  it, too. Being with you is...  _Everything_  to me." He said quietly, as Taylors shoulders shook with a silent sob, his eyes welling with tears of disbelief as his heart clenched tightly. "I'm not  _half_  the man a true Boy Scout deserves... But, I'm gonna give it all I got, and then some..." Jake promised, squeezing Taylors hand through the ribbon, as his expression melted into a joyful grin. "With a little luck, maybe we can land this thing somewhere near 'happily ever after'." He said, his eyes blazing with hope as Taylor choked back his sobs and tears of joy, biting his lip to try and regain control of himself.

Taari slowly climbed onto the dais, carrying a large, broad leaf. Taylor grinned down at the boy, as he smiled up at him, unusually shy, as he offered the make shift tray to him. Breathtaking flowers were laid across the leaf's surface, and Taylor looked towards Seraxa with a brow raised in curiosity.

"Taylor," the green woman said fondly, gesturing his attention back to the flowers. "Please select the blossom which best represents how you feel for Jake. It will become an expression of your love, for all to see." She said, as nervous excitement bubbled within Taylors gut. He glanced at Jake, who was clearly intrigued to find out what he would choose.

Seraxa pointed to each radiant blossom, describing its meaning to him with a stern expression. "Unity..." She said, pointing to a small pink flower. "Harmony..." She continued, pointing to a small headband of intricately woven green leaves. "And... Devotion." She said at last, pointing to a large tropical bloom, in a vast multitude of colours.

"Devotion." Taylor said quickly, raising his eyes to Jake's, as his pilot broke into a wide and gleeful grin. "I'm yours... Now, and forever." Taylor whispered to him, before he ducked down to allow Taari to tuck the blossom behind his ear.

"And now..." Seraxa said warmly, spreading her arms as Taylor rose, a bright grin on his face as he met Jake's joyful and excited gaze. "Let the union between these two be made complete, with a kiss!" She said, as Taylor felt his heart race in anticipation, his gut filled by the excited dancing of butterflies.

Taari gasped and covered his eyes, giggling wildly as he dropped the leaf with the remaining two flowers. "I can't look!  _I can't look!"_  He giggled, peeking through his fingers as he grinned gleefully.

Taylor and Jake came together as if drawn by an invisible, irresistible force. The pilot's free arm wrapped around Taylors waist, pure joy dancing in his eyes as they shared euphoric grins for a moment, until; as one, their lips met. Taylor cupped the side of his pilots face gently, his fingers curling into his hair as Jake kissed him like never before. The world melted around him, as the pilot became his all, his heart all but exploding through his chest in his blissful and utter happiness.

However, the sound of his friends breaking into jubilant applause, abruptly returned him to reality. He giggled as he parted from Jake, the pilot's hand cupping his face gently as they shared an adoring gaze, until Taylor flushed an dbit his lip, turning towards their friends guiltily.

 _"Woooooo!"_  Craig cheered enthusiastically, punching the air with his fist as he broke out in a proud grin.

"Get it, Taylor!" Zahra cheered, throwing him a wink as she leaned against Craig and smirked at him.

"Their love is so perfect..." Grace wailed, as Aleister smiled at them proudly, rubbing at his own eyes briefly, as Grace buried her face into his side.  _"Boohoohoo!"_

"These two are now joined before Vaanu, and the Vaanti." Seraxa called over their cheering, smiling at Taylor affectionately, as she raised her arms to the crowd. "Just as it was for the first bride and her beloved, true love is an inexorable force..." She said, winking at him as she beamed a proud smile of her own. "No land, sea, or person; may keep those who are destined apart... Go forth as one, children of the stars!"

Taylor and Jake exchanged giddy grins, as they left the dais together, with the crowd of their friends following them towards the exit. Craig came up behind Taylor, clapping him firmly on the back. "How good was  _thaaaat?"_  He asked, grinning gleefully as he rooted through his pocket and raised a brow. "You ready for the honeymoon?"

 _"What_  honeymoon?" Taylor asked, frowning briefly as Jake cleared his throat loudly beside him. He turned to see his pilot; his husband, gazing at him with a sappy grin, and he immediately forgot the jocks words.

"Yo, but what about-" Craig began to ask, drawing the small box from his pocket as Taylor glanced back.

"Ask Quinn to put it in my bag for me?" He asked quickly, squeezing Jake's hand to draw his attention away from Craig. "Tell little miss nosey she can look, but to make sure it's safe! Else I am gonna be  _beyond_  pissed at her, no matter what cute face she pulls!" He added in a fierce whisper, as Craig shrugged and sloped away to do as he'd been asked.

Taylor faced forward again, laughing as Vaanti began tossing handfuls of petals into the air, as he and Jake exited the entrance hall. What began as a light flutter, quickly became a cloud of roiling colour around the two of them. "Zero visibility..." Jake snickered, beaming a huge, giddy grin at Taylor. "Requesting coordinates from ground control!" He teased, as Taylor felt his heart lurch with joy, gently leading Jake out if the petals by their handfasting ribbon.

He chuckled fondly, and Taylor stretched himself up to kiss him again, before resting his forehead to the pilots. "I can't believe it..." He breathed, his chest hitching as his heart skipped a beat. "This is  _real,_  right? Fiddler didn't kill me in the cabin after all?" He asked, wincing when Jake frowned at him.

"That was the bad dream?" He queried, his hand coming to rest against Taylors cheek, his thumb sweeping away his tears gently as he nodded reluctantly. "Hmm... Well, luckily that's all it was. This is  _all_  real, Boy Scout. Ya stuck with me for life now." He said, chuckling again as Taylor choked and surged upward to kiss him intently.

 _"Jake..."_  He murmured, as the pilot nuzzled his cheek affectionately, and finally began undoing the symbolic ribbon. Around them, their friends gathered, delving into the delectable treats laid out among the platforms.

Raj offered Seraxa a platter of pancake like pastries, beaning a wide grin at the green skinned war chief. "Try the tilgul poli!" Hw encouraged, pushing the platter beneath her nose.

"Ugh." Seraxa sneered, scowling as she reluctantly plucked a delicacy from the tray. "That looks like desiccated pig skin, but... I suppose I must be gracious." She sneered, popping a meager bite into her mouth. For a moment, there was no reaction, until suddenly; her eyes widened, and she choked in disbelief. "This... is  _outstanding?!"_  She gasped, gazing down at the platter, as she plucked up another hastily. "Catalyst, how do you make this?  _Please,_  you must tell me!"

"Oh, well, Grandma's secret. Heh." Raj chuckled, flushing with pride beneath the high praise of the usually stoic Vaanti.

"Hm..." Seraxa hummed thoughtfully, stepping closer to Raj provocatively. "And, what might one have to do to learn this secret..?" She asked, smirking at him as she gently pressed her shoulder to his.

Taylor was distracted from the disturbing sight of Seraxa flirting, when Varyyn appeared on the balcony above them, with Diego beaming joyfully by his side. "My friends, my people... This Niala'rei has already proven it's auspiciousness to me, as I was blessed with Diego's consent to handfast with him..." The Elyyshar said proudly, raising their hands to the crowd, their ribbon blowing gently in a light breeze. "Now, I ask you all to gather in the deepest chamber of Elyys'tel, and join us in reviving The Ailopin Oru!" He cried, receiving a defeating roar of cheering from the Vaanti gathered below.

Taylor glanded around, as the Vaanti began to file away, moving down the grand staircase in eager haste. "I guess, we should..." He hedged, as Diego and Varyyn came bounding through the audience hall doors towards them.

"C'mon guys, what're you waiting for?" Diego asked, beaming as he grabbed Taylors hand and pulled him along with them, as Varyyn dashed after the other Vaanti. "You do not wanna miss this!" He called, as Taylor quickly grabbed Jake's hand; refusing to let himself be dragged away from him so soon.

"Are you gonna keep us in suspense, or do you wanna fill us in here, assbutt?" He asked waspishly, as Diego merely sniggered and grinned in response, racing alongside his royal husband as they made their way through the crowd. He sighed and accepted that he would get no verbal reply, glancing back to see their friends running after them as they laughed and bantered playfully. His heart ached with love and affection, and he found himself eager to finally discover the truth of the mysterious tradition Varyyn had declared.

They hurried down the grand staircase, and along a path which led them to the lowest point of Elyys'tel; where a large and intricately decorated opening was carved into the base of the great tree. "There have been no Vaanti here for over a century..." Varyyn said breathlessly, his eyes glimmering briefly with grief. "My grandmother died, a short time after the last Ailopin Oru, and in her heartache, my mother abandoned the tradition... But I believe this year to have been clouded by too much pain, and I wish for my people... For  _you,_  my friends, to chase away our fears of the future. So join me, in declaring and end to the uncertainty, and to show that we are not afraid; no matter what may come."

"Dude, your husband is being a sap..." Taylor whispered to Diego, who laughed and shoved his shoulder.

"Shut  _up,_  Taylor!" He sniggered, turning a bright shade of crimson, despite his broad grin. "He is  _not..."_  He protested weakly, turning to Varyyn with a soft gaze, as he bit his lip.

"Don't listen to Boy Scout, he's full of somethin' way stronger than sap..." Jake snorted, grinning as he curled his arm over Taylors shoulder and drew him closer, his lips lowering to his ear. "Or at least, you will be soon..." He amended, nipping Taylors ear lobe briefly, as Taylor shivered and bit his lip as he flushed similarly to his friend.

"Come, my friends." Varyyn said, ignoring thier banter as he gently tugged Diego after him, who in turn dragged Taylor and Jake through the opening behind him. At first, Taylor saw very little, but soon; he made out the flickering of torches below them, revealing the outline of a great staircase which spiralled deeper into the trees roots. When they cleared the ground level of the platform, the flaming torches placed high on the walls bathed the chamber with a warm glow.

Taylors eyes widened as he looked around in awe, his eyes alighting on a grand dais, similar to where he and Jake had exchanged their vows. The platform was surrounded by huge drums, while Vaanti filed over to the area, testing them briefly with large batons and sticks and filling the chamber briefly with deep booms. The rest of the chamber was almost bare, save for what appeared to be a bar at the opposite side to the dais, which Taylor firmly steered his pilot away from. "Varyyn, what-"

"Hello again, Taylor." The Clockmaker cut off his question, startling him as she smiled at him fondly. "I hope your handfasting day has been pleasurable."

"Seriously, is there anyone you  _didn't_  talk to about this, ya know, before you decided to even  _ask_  me?" Taylor snarked, turning to Jake with a pout, only for the pilot to grin and shrug unashamedly. "It's good to see you again," Taylor conceded, as he turned back to The Clockmaker, frowning at her goggled face. "But, what're you doing here?"

"Varyyn asked me to join you all for The Ailopin Oru..." She explained tapping her head discreetly for Taylors benefit, her cheeks staining with colour briefly. "Who better to invite to The Endless Night; but the very Vaanti whose revelry never ends?" She asked, chuckling as the other Vaanti who'd helped them defeat Cetus approached.

"Is it time yet?" Asked the spiky haired female eagerly, as Vaanti flooded down the staircase, filling the area before the dais quickly. Taylor looked around them all, noticing that not a single Vaanti; including, the Anachronists, were wearing shoes.

"This, is how the Vaanti dance." Varyyn explained, noticing Taylors forming frown. "The Endless Night is a chance to revel in each others joy, and to celebrate our handfastings." He said, as Taylor felt his heart tug at the words, as The Clockmaker and her brethren slipped away towards the dais.

"Okay..." Taylor hummed quietly, quickly slipping his shoes and socks off, while Diego did the same. He glanced up at Jake, as the pilot frowned down at him curiously. "What? Take them off..." He said, gesturing to Jake's feet and scowling, as he glanced around his friends; noticing them all hesitating. "Hey, ya know what? I am  _so_  done asking. This is  _my_  handfasting day, and  _Diego's_  handfasting day; and  _you_  all gotta do as we say.  _Everybody,_  shoes and socks off;  _now."_  He ordered, gripping Jake's tie firmly and drawing him closer. "And that goes  _double_  for you. If you don't take them off in the next five seconds, I'm gonna do it myself." He promised smugly, before leaning in and kissing his pilot firmly but briefly, pulling away with the promise of more in his eyes.

"Well damn," Sean said, his eyes wide as he gazed at Taylor in shock. "Married life has made Taylor bossy as hell." He said, looking over at Jake with a commiserating shake of his head.

"Yeah, suddenly I feel sorry for Jake..." Raj sighed, frowning as Taylor snorted and grinned at him slyly.

"Don't feel sorry for him," he said, throwing him a cocky wink, before returning his eyes to Jake's, as his pilot curled his arm around his waist and smirked knowingly. "He knows  _damn_  well I'll make it worth his while...  _If_ , he behaves and does as he's told."

"Says the troublemaker, who  _never_  does as he's told." Jake snarked, his lips lowering to Taylors throat and brushing over the soft skin longingly. The pilot sighed in defeat, stepping back to remove his shoes and socks. "I'm gonna preemptively tell you all to shut up, and get on with doin' as ya told. If I gotta do this, you lot sure as hell ain't getting out of it..." He grumbled, as Taylor grinned around them all, pleased when they began following Jake's lead.

"Yeah but, you have to do what Taylor says 'cause you married him..." Quinn pointed out, giggling as she glanced at him coyly. "And he can't exactly use the threat of no sex on us." She said, as Taylor wiggled his brows at his pilot fondly.

"She's got ya there, Top Gun." He said, snickering as he glanced at Quinn wickedly. "Though, I could say no sex if  _they_  don't join in... Pretty sure  _you'll_  then have an ex military pro pulling your shoes off instead of me..." He sniggered, as Quinn gazed at him in shock.

 _"Taylor!"_  She gasped, before breaking into a wide grin, throwing her arms around his shoulders as he moved away from Jake and swept her into his arms. "You're so wicked!" She giggled, as Taylor hummed and grinned.

"I cannot believe I'm being reduced to this level of childish..." Aleister grumbled, though he fell silent as Grace swatted his arm and scowled at him.

Taylor was about to say something, when several loud drumbeats resounded through the chamber, drawing their attention towards the dais, where The Clockmaker stood before the crowd; her brethren having taken up a slow beat to draw them all closer. "Sounds like its show time guys!" He called, moving forward to grab Jake's hand and dragging him towards the dais, through the throng of Vaanti bodies.

"People of Elyys'tel," The Clockmaker called, raising her arms as the drummers paused, allowing her to speak clearly. "We Anachronists do not follow your beliefs, we do not live as you do... But tonight, our people nay be one again. This Niala'rei, has seen your Elyyshar bonded to his lover," she called, gesturing towards Varyyn and Diego, who flushed beneath the combined glances of the Vaanti present. "It comes after struggles, and loss, and harships un-numbered! But you are still here! Tonight, we celebrate Ailopin Oru;  _The Endless Night_!" She cried, as the crowd roared in agreement, the Vaanti stamping their feet against the ground eagerly. "Let this night stand as a reminder, that no matter what hardships may come; together, we are strongest!" She cried, as the crowd roared again, with Taylor and his friends cheering alongside them.

As if by silent command, the Anachronists began to pound the drums in a rapidly melody, the Vaanti before the dais beginning to jump and stamp their feet to the beat. Taylor glanced at Varyyn as the Elyyshar lead Diego in the Vaanti dance. He shrugged his shoulders, and bumped his hip to Jake's, before throwing himself into the beat with the others.

" _All our lives we've been afraid.._." The Clockmaker sang out over the drums, drawing Taylors gaze towards the dais, as he danced with his friends and the other Vaanti. " _Watching the world decline till nothing remains... But in our darkest hour, right before the dawn! The old world dies, the new day is born..._ " She cried, as Taylors breath caught, The Clockmaker seeming to be watching him intently through her goggles.

" _We're gonna live like it's our last night alive_!" The Clockmaker cried, the drums seeming to slow temporarily as she poured a sense of deep emotion into her words. " _And we're dancing till the morning light... And even if the sun don't rise! In the end only love survives_..." She called lowly, as the drums slowly sped up again, reaching a crescendo just as the stamping Vaanti began to all cheer eagerly.

" _So be love; be love! Just be love! Only love... We are love, only love... And when the stars are aligned, you've got to make love a state of mind..! 'Cause in the end only love survives_..." Taylor felt heat race through him, his heart pounding as Jake's arm curled around his waist from behind, drawing him tight against the pilots chest as they rocked and swayed to the beat.

" _So let the world collide, don't be afraid. If it's the end of time, love will remain.._." The clockmaker sang, as Taylor felt his heart swell with a thick haze of emotion, the words of the song seeming to resound within him deeply.

"S _o live like it's the last night alive_!" He yelled, throwing his hand in the air as he gazed around his friends, who copied his motion, each seeming as affected by the song as he was himself. " _And we're dancing till the morning light... And even if the sun don't rise! In the end only love survives..._ "

" _So be love; be love! Just be love! Only love! We are love_..." The Clockmaker called out, her voice ringing through the chamber as Taylors friends began to devolve into their own brand of dancing.

" _We are love_!" He cried with his friends, as Jake trailed his hand over his side, eliciting a rush of heat through his body. Taylor felt his pilot's fingers caress along his arm, raising his hand to his waist and linking their fingers together, as they danced pressed tight to each other. Taylor swallowed heavily, his heart pounding as he watched Michelle pirouetted, reaching up to hold onto Sean's steadying hand above her head.

" _Only love_..." The clockmaker called, as Taylor leaned back against his pilot, turning his head slightly and raising his free hand to curl around the side of Jake's neck, holding him close as the heat in his heart flared. He felt Jake hunch against him, molding himself around Taylor, as his stubble tickled Taylors brow.

" _Only love_!" He and his friends cried, as Quinn followed Kele's lead in a twenties style dance which Taylor was hesitant to try and name. Craig, Raj and Zahra were entirely lost to the drums, dancing as if they were at a a rock concert.

" _And when the stars are aligned you got to make love a state of mind! 'Cause in the end only love survives..."_  The Clockmaker sang, as Aleister ignored the beat entirely, spinning Grace in wide, elegant circles of a ballroom waltz.

" _So be love... Be love; only love, love, love... only love, love, love_!" The Clockmaker called, raising her arms one at a time to either side of the chamber, as they repeated small phrases back to her; while Taylor lost himself to the intense emotions clamouring in his heart, his focus trained on Jake's warm and solid body against his.

"' _Cause in the end; Only love survi_ -" Taylor began to sing, only for Jake to spin him suddenly, pulling him close by their linked fingers to kiss him passionately. The drums came to an abrupt halt, as the Vaanti erupted into raucous applause, while Taylor allowed himself to be swept away by his pilots demanding kiss.

 _"Damn,_  dudes; save it for the honeymoon!" Craig snickered, grinning at them gleefully as they finally parted. "Man, that was actually pretty fun!" He said, glancing around as some of the Vaanti traded places with a few of the drummers, while The Clockmaker exchanged a hurried whisper with one of her brethren.

"Here Taylor, I think you can carry your own things now the ceremonies over!" Quinn said with a giggle, offering him his bag. "And don't worry, I put your things in the zip pocket, on the inside..." She said, her crystalline eyes sparkling with joy. She waited until he had swung the bag over his shoulder, before throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek. "I'm so happy for you, Taylor!" She cried, squeezing him tightly.

"Thankyou, Quinn..." He said, sniffing as he pulled her into a full hug, swaying them lightly as he held her tight in return. " I'm happy for me too..." He sighed, snickering when she swatted his arm and drew back with a giggle.

Taylor drew back as a darkly glad Anachronist approached them, raising a brow at the knowing looks everyone began to exchange. "So, you two are handfasted now, huh?" He asked, his one visible eye glowing as it swept over them. "Looks like fun." He added gently, tipping his head as Taylor grinned giddily. "The Clockmaker asked me to bring you a gift. Your partner already knows about it..."

"Oh,  _does_  he now?" Taylor asked, glancing around his friends before turning to Jake, who merely winked at him unashamedly. "Why do I get the feeling I'm the only person who  _didn't_  know about it?"

"That'd kinda defy the point of a surprise, wouldn't it Boy Scout?" He asked, beaming a wide grin at him as he took his hand gently. "Got a little something set up for you..." He admitted, stepping closer and ghosting his hand over Taylors side.

"Hmm..." Taylor hedged, grinning as he relented and shivered beneath the pilots touch. "Well, I like the sound of this so far..." He said, as the Anachronist produced one of their elaborate time pieces, glancing at Taylor briefly before he began making adjustments. Taylor gasped, as a portal swallowed him suddenly, propelling him through time and space. Moments later, he found himself stumbling onto the deck of the Dorado. Jake swooped in to catch him, making him laugh in surprise, as the pilot twirled him off the floorboards and into his arms. "Sweeping me off my feet?" He laughed.

"That's what I do." Jake said smugly, beaming down at him adoringly as he set him gently back on his feet, while keeping an arm looped around his waist.

"I still can't believe we made it..." Taylor said quietly, staring up at Jake as he trailed his finger over the pilots stubbled jaw, unable to wipe the huge smile from his face. "We're actually  _here._  We're  _actually together."_

"And," Jake said, leaning down to kiss Taylors throw softly. "We're actually...  _Alone."_  He murmured, as Taylor gasped, his eyes widening as he drew back and gazed up at Jake in disbelief.

"Oh my god,  _seriously?!_  No way..!" He choked, as Jake snickered and drew back, gazing down at him fondly as his eyes shone in the warm, golden sunlight. "So..." Taylor asked, his grin turning sly as he walked his fingers up the pilots chest over his tie. "What did you want to show me..?" He purred, looking up from beneath his lashes coyly.

Jake burst out laughing, shaking his head as hr squeezed Taylors waist and pulled him closer. "Somebody's eager." He snickered, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"Damn right I am." Taylor said, before he shrugged lightly and laughed. "Surprises make me nervous... Lately, they tend to involve robots. Or ghosts. Or time travellers... who turn out to be me." He said, pouting faintly, until Jake lissed his brow.

"You'll like this one." Jake said, nuzzling him affectionately, as he leaned close to his ear.  _"Promise."_  He added in a quiet drawl, as Taylor bit his lip and shivered. "Now, come on." The pilot said abruptly, laughing at Taylors wide eyes as he stepped back and grinned at him. "We're gonna have to do some serious sailing to get there by sunset."

"Just so you are aware, this is  _not_  going where I had expected or hoped it was." Taylor said, pouting, before looking back up at Jake excitedly all the same. "What happens at sunset?" He asked eagerly.

"Wouldn't  _you_  like to know?" Jake snickered, winking as he clambered up into the rigging, calling down over his shoulder from above. "Looks like the Peg Leg Pals already did most of the work for us, but this is still gonna be a little tricky..."

"We can do this together..." Taylor began, before casting a fond grin after his pilot, as he leaned his hip against the railing. "After everything we've been through, I think the two of us can handle launching a boat." He sniggered, as Jake glanced back at him.

"That's the spirit." He called, grinning at Taylor encouragingly. "I'll rig the capstan, while you reeve the purchase." He said, about to move forward when he was distracted by Taylors loud snort.

"... Are you making up words?" He teased, unable to wipe the idiotic grin from his face, his heart almost bursting from the happiness which consumed him. "I feel like you're making up words."

Jake sniggered, beaming at Taylors obvious joy. "Just grab that rope over there and pull it a bunch." He said, beginning to climb again.

"Yeah, yeah... Just you remember who the captain is though." Taylor snickered, as Jake looked down with an incredulous snort. "Now, get to work. Or I'll throw you in the brig." He said, grinning as Jake looked down at him with an amused grin.

"And then what?" The pilot demanded, his brows raising as Taylor broke out in a wide and cocky grin.

"I'll do something with ropes and chains." He sniggered, laughing as Jake paused to consider. "And I'd like to see you get out of  _this_  one..." He said, winking up at his pilot, as Jake's gaze turned both fiery and adoring.

"I'm feeling so  _disobedient_  all of a sudden..." Jake said leadingly, smirking down at Taylor, their eyes meeting in an intense and heated look, before he began to clamber up the rigging again.

Taylor snorted, watching his pilot climb for a moment in fond affection, before pushing away from the railing with a smirk. Over the next hour, he bustled about the deck, casting suspicious glances upwards on occasion; while Jake climbed and swung above him, and disappeared periodically. "Alright, Top Gun!" He called, grinning as Jake swing down from the rigging with a wide smirk. "Anchor's up!" He said, leaning against a railing.

"And we're off!" Jake said, beaming a wide grin at Taylor as the sails filled with wind, and the Dorado leapt out to sea. "And that's all there is to it." Jake said with a smug grin, smirking at Taylor and throwing him a cocky wink. "We'll make a sailor out of you yet, Boy Scout." The pilot drawled, as he took his place at the helm.

Taylor snorted as he caught his breath on the deck, looking over at his pilot fondly. "So, they teach you how to sail pirate ships in the Navy, huh?" He asked smugly, sniggering at Jake's light flush.

"My Uncle Pete had a little schooner growing up." He admitted, a soft grin curling his lips. "Honestly, sailboats ain't changed much since Jack Sparrow days. You got your ropes, your sails, your wind... and a view like no other." He said, winking at Taylor as the sun beat down on them. The pilot huffed, wiping an arm across his brow. "Gettin' a little warm out here..." He said leadingly, a wide grin on his face as he gazed at Taylor.

"Hmm, then I guess you should..." Taylor hedged, his lips twitching with amusement as he pretended to consider for a moment. "Maybe, take your shirt off?" He suggested innocently, biting his lip to contain a laugh.

"I don't know..." Jake drawled, hissing as he shook his head slowly. "I wouldn't want to take my hands of the wheel." He said, winking down at Taylor suggestively. "Might need your help."

"I  _think_  that could be arranged..." Taylor hummed, feigning heavy sigh as he gently pushed off the railing. He sauntered across the deck, trailing a hand along the rail as he walked up the stairs to the helm, as Jake watched him intently with a wide grin. "Keep your eyes in your head there, Wolf." Taylor snickered, as he reached the top of the stairs.

 _"Awooooo!"_  Jake howled, beaming joyfully as Taylor laughed and slid behind him. He reached around his pilot, taking his time as he carefully loosened his tie and pressed a light, open mouthed kiss to his throat, before lifting Jake's waistcoat and shirt over his head.

"Better?" Taylor asked innocently, tossing Jake's upper garments to the floor without a glance, as Jake sighed and grinned at him.

"Better." Jake agreed, raising a brow and whistling as Taylor removed the necklace and bejewelled collar, his skin rejoicing in the warm breeze.  _"Much_  better." He amended in a thick drawl, his eyes trailing over Taylor eagerly.

"So..." Taylor hedged, leaning his back against the railing so he could watch his pilot. "Where are we headed?" He asked curiously, watching as Jake steered the Dorado expertly.

"Little islet I spotted off the coast a... little while ago." He said, clearing his throat gruffly as Taylor raised a brow at him. "Matter of fact, why don't you get up to the crows nest and keep an eye out for me?" He asked, winking as Taylor narrowed his eyes in playful suspicion.

"I feel like I'm being handled..." He hummed thoughtfully, biting his lip as he felt a flame of desire flare in his gut.

"No," Jake sniggered, winking as he beamed a great grin at him. "That part comes later." He said, as Taylor laughed. He shook his head as he rolled away from the railing, planting his foot in a nearby net and climbing towards the crows nest.

He swung himself over the railing, and started in surprise, finding a blanket laid out with a makeshift picnic before his feet. "Oh my god!" He gasped, looking around in awe, his heart melting at the pilots effort. "Jake, how did you-" he called, only to yelp in surprise when a kiss was pressed lightly to his cheek from behind.

"Very sneakily, of course." Jake murmured, beaming at Taylors surprised expression, as he appeared behind him and climbed over the rail to join him in the cries nest. "It's not much, but its the best I could do in short notice." He admitted, scratching his neck as he bit his lip and looked over at Taylor nervously. "Did I do good?"

"You did  _very_  good." Taylor assured, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked around once more. "But... Where'd you get all this?" He asked, turning to see Jake's shoulders slump in relief.

"Found it belowdecks while you were working." He said, sniggering lightly as Taylor swatted his shoulder playfully. "Guess the Tortuga Twins took a shopping trip down to ol' Gurgi's." He said, settling himself into the crows nest opposite Taylor, laying on his side beside a tableau of fruit, crab legs and other delicacies.

"I don't know what to eat first..." Taylor admitted, shaking his head as he laid down opposite Jake and gazed at the food between them. "It all looks so good." He said, watching as Jake picked up a mango. The pilot pressed his thumbnail through the peel, pulling it apart in his hands before sinking his teeth into the mango's soft flesh, ita brightly coloured juices running down his bare chest. "... Wanna do that to me?" Taylor asked, laughing gleefully when Jake choked and coughed.

"I'm gonna have to be careful around you..." The pilot finally said, grinning at Taylor with joyful eyes, as he recovered from his shock. "You're a bad influence!" He huffed, as Taylor snickered unashamedly. "And, to answer your question... I'd love to. Got any specific place in mind?" He asked, raising a brow as he ran his eyes over Taylor hungrily.

"Oh," Taylor hummed innocently, looking away briefly as he pretended to consider, before cutting a sly grin back to his pilot. "I could think of a few..." Je said, as Jake laughed softly.

Suddenly, the pilots eyes lit up, and Taylor rolled back to follow his gaze to something behind him. As the ship rounded the southern coast of La Huerta, a small islet came into view. A plate, covered with soft green grass, rose from sloping cliffs. "There it is." Jake breathed, grinning proudly at the sight before them.

"There what is?" He asked blankly, his brows rising as he glanced back at Jake. "All I see is an empty island." He snorted, his lips twitching in amusement.

"Oh? Try again, and this time I'll help..." Jake said, kicking the picnic aside to send it falling to the deck, much to Taylors amusement. The pilot moved over, sliding in next to him, as his fingertips traced imaginary shapes over the empty islet. "Right there... is our house. See the chimney smoking? The little shutters on the windows?" He said softly, raising a brow as he grinned at Taylor fondly.

Taylors heart ached at the pilots words, his eyes stinging with tears, even as he beamed a wide smile at his pilot and laughed quietly. "Oh, I get it now. You're doing a  _thing."_  He chuckled, as Jake winked sidelong at him. The pilots left hand slid up his back, drawing a shiver which had nothing to do with temperature from Taylor, as his right hand glided out across the untouched beach.

"Down there's the firepit." Jake continued, as Taylor imagined the things he described appearing before his eyes, desperately yearning for them to be real as he gripped the railing. "Took the two of us almost a month to gather seashells for the path... But it sure does  _sparkle,_  this time of night."

"Hmm," Taylor hummed, swallowing as he tried to play along with the pilots game. "Tell me about our bedroom." He said with a soft chuckle, as Jake hummed and curled closer to him.

"Why bother? We're there right now. Close your eyes and picture it." He said, as Taylor grinned and did as he was asked, hoping to quickly gain control of his threatening tears. He shivered as Jake's fingers traced up his back, all the way to the nape of his neck. "Silk sheets on the bed..." He whispered, leaning close to brush his lips over Taylors ear. "Chimes jingling in the window..." He breathed, as Taylors heart lurched, his pilots soft voice raising goosebumps on his arms. "We were supposed to get up an hour ago, but  _you_  had some other ideas..." The pilot teased, kissing his shoulder softly.

Taylors eyes opened slowly, his brow furrowing as he turned towards Jake slowly. He stared at him for a long pause, his heart slamming to an abrupt halt as he gasped suddenly. "You're  _serious..."_  He choked, his eyes widening as they began to shimmer with tears. "You really mean that... Don't you? You, you  _really_  want to stay on La Huerta?" He said, shaking his head in disbelief as he swallowed heavily and averted his gaze from Jake's, as the pilot rapidly grew concerned by his reaction. "Don't... don't you want to go  _home?"_  He asked, as Jake leaned back against the rail with a sigh and gently squeezed Taylors shoulder.

"Doesn't seem like that's possible now..." Jake hummed thoughtfully, gazing at Taylor intently, as he bit his lip and stared back at the pilot in hopeful disbelief. "But to tell the truth? I don't care anymore." He sighed, as Taylor choked and covered his mouth with his hand, sitting up and looking away suddenly as he was overwhelmed by emotion. "Taylor-" Jake murmured softly, drawing his hand away from his mouth and into his lap, pensively trailing his fingers up and down Taylors wrist. "I love you... But you can be  _such_  an idiot sometimes, Taylor. How the hell did you actually believe I was gonna leave without  _you?_  Or even, that I wouldn't come straight back, if I did have to leave..." He asked, shaking his head as he frowned at Taylors stunned, wide eyed silence.

"All my life I've had this..." Jake said quietly, swallowing before he glanced away and exhaled deeply.  _"Itch._  Like, an alarm clock tickin' away. When it goes off, that means its time for me to leave."

"... And, go where?" Taylor asked, his voice small and quivering as he watched his pilot intently, scrubbing his eyes with his free hand.

Jake shook his head, his face falling as he stared out at the ocean. "Anywhere other than the place I'm at. I don't know why." He sighed, his gaze turning distant in his nostalgia. "It's just always been that way. Hometown. Navy. Arachnid. Costa Rica...  _Hell,_  even when we first landed  _here."_  He confessed guiltily, looking down at Taylors hand in his lap, as he drew in a deep breath. "But, you know what?" He asked, brightening as he interlaced their fingers and raising his eyes to Taylors. "Somewhere along the way, that clock... it just  _stopped_."

Jake's gaze softened, his entire expression melting as he gazed at Taylor adoringly. "I was lost until you found me, Taylor. Now, I just want to be where I am,  _wherever_  I am with  _you."_  He said, as Taylor choked and looked away, his heart swelling with affection and disbelief.

"Jake..." He hiccupped, trying hard to contain the sob which tried to escape his throat. "Your future showed you going back... You're family-"

"Taylor, I just  _married_  you." Jake snorted, shaking his head at Taylor fondly. "That kinda makes you family, you idiot... But, even if I do end up goin' back for whatever reason, don't ever doubt for a second I wouldn't be coming right back for ya." He said, as Taylor drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, hanging his head as his shoulders shook.

"I don't... Oh my god, Diego told you after all didn't-" Taylor gasped, drawing his hand away as he covered his face and began to ramble incoherently.

"No! No, no... I just-" Jake huffed, reaching for his hand again and curling his free hand beneath Taylors chin, leaning forward to force him to meet his eyes. "I admit... I, seem to have bad timing when you're tryin' to be sneaky." He huffed, as Taylors eyes widened in surprise. "When you were tellin' Papa Smurf about staying on the island this morning, I heard more'n than I let on." He admitted, wincing as Taylor swatted his shoulder and scowled. "And... When you were talkin' to Petey, before we went and saw the crystal cavern-" he said, grinning as Taylor gasped and flushed with embarrassment. "And... Back at The Celestial-"

" _Oh my god, you sneak_!" Taylor choked, gasping as he felt his cheeks turn crimson. "You were behind the bar, weren't you!" He cried, recalling the pilot turning up on the roof after his initial confession to Diego with a bottle of whiskey. "I can't believe it...  _Every time_  I was freaking out, you were there!"

"Yes, I was  _accidentally_  witness to all of your most idiotic moments." Jake snickered, as Taylor tried to swat him again, only for the pilot to grab his wrists and grin.  _"But,_ I still waited for you to come to me... When you were ready." He offered, as Taylor shook his head and looked back to the islet.

He sighed, swallowing heavily as he closed his eyes, feeling Jake tentatively caress his wrists. "A little island house  _does_  sound nice..." He admitted quietly, finally looking back at the pilot, who broke out in a relieved grin. "It'll be nice to have somewhere to wait for you... When you do have to go." He said, biting his lip hesitantly.

"Honestly, we could live in a cave, for all I care." Jake snorted, his eyes alight with joy as he gazed at Taylor affectionately. "As long as  _you're_  there, it's home." He said, as Taylor sniffed and scrubbed his eyes again.

"Jake..." He choked, his heart rising to his throat as he reached over to draw the pilot closer. "Kiss me." He pleaded, his eyes glistening with tears from his tumultuous tide of emotions.

Jake smiled, huffing a relieved sigh as he reached for Taylor in return and brushed his fingers across Taylors cheek. "Thought you'd  _never_  ask." He drawled lowly, leaning in and slowly lifting his mouth to Taylors, the scent of the sea mingling with the taste of his lips.

 _"Mmmm!"_  Taylor hummed, eagerly reciprocating as he tried to convey the relief, desire and love which swarmed through him in his kiss. He whined as Jake drew back gently, shaking his head as he ran his eyes over Taylor affectionately.

"You drive me  _crazy..._  you know that?" The pilot drawled quietly, sucking his lip between his teeth as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

Taylor hiccupped on a laughed sob, smiling coyly as he slowly shifted closer beside the pilot. "In a  _good_  day... or a  _bad_  way?" He asked, biting his lip provocatively.

Jake rolled closer, dropping his head to Taylors shoulder and burying his face in the side of his neck. "Very..." He murmured, his lips grazing Taylors throat softly.  _"Very_  bad..." He said, causing Taylor to laugh in surprise as the pilot nipped below his ear with his teeth.

 _"Mmm..."_  Taylor gasped, craning his neck to allow the pilot more room. "Don't stop..." He breathed, shivering when Jake's strong hands slid over his body and turned him, as he braced his legs against the wooden rail. His heart leapt, as Jake moved behind him slowly, wrapping an arm across Taylors chest and gently pulling him back against the pilot.

"You know what I've been wondering...  _all_  day?" The pilot murmured, his lips brushing over Taylors shoulder, as his body shifted and resettled lightly.

Taylor grinned over his shoulder, arching his neck up as Jake's light and scratchy kisses drifted higher, towards his jaw. "... Tell me." He breathed, curling his arm around the back of the pilots neck and urging him closer.

"What kinda sounds you'll make..." Jake's drawled, as his other hand slid around Taylors waist, and slowly trailed down over his stomach and deftly untied his robe. "When I do  _this."_  He murmured, his body pressing forward as the fabric between them fell away, his fingers curling around Taylors cock gently.

 _"Ahhh!"_  Taylor gasped, as a wave of overwhelming warmth rushed through his body. He gripped the rail, shuddering from the pleasure which tingled down his spine at the pilots body joining with his own.

"I'll take it that means 'good'?" Jake drawled, smirking as he rocked forward again, causing Taylor to groan as his fingers ghosted over his own cock.

 _"Yesss..."_  He murmured, his heart racing as heat flooded through his body, desire blazing like a naked flame in his gut. "So help me, if Diego or Quinn or anyone else shows up right now,  _you are not to stop._.!" He ordered, as Jake chuckled.

"Trust me, Boy Scout..." Jake murmured, his teeth grazing Taylors shoulder softly. "Ain't  _nobody_  gonna show up this time..." He said in a husky drawl, his lips brushing higher over Taylors throat.

"Oh god..." Taylor gasped, shivering as Jake resumed, the rhythm of his movements matching the swaying of the waves. "Don't stop, don't stop,  _don't stop.._." He chanted urgently, groaning as Jake rocked against him, pressing deeper into him and flooding his body with pleasure.

 _"Taylor-"_  Jake sighed, his breath hitching as Taylor buried his face in his arm briefly, arching back against him as the pilots hand stroked him firmly.

Taylor bit his lip, groaning quietly as they moved together, expressing everything they'd felt over the past few hectic days without words.  _"Mmm!"_  He gasped, turning his head to look back at Jake with desire, joy and longing in his eyes, as his body was wracked with deep waves of heat and pleasure.

Jake hummed, leaning forward to seal his mouth over Taylors, consuming and swallowing his every soft sound of pleasure eagerly. "Oh..!" Taylor gasped, his hand curling into the pilots hair as he drew him closer, their eyes locking intensely.  _"Jake-"_  he choked, his lips brushing over his pilots, before his jaw fell slack.

"... I got you." Jake murmured, his arms curling tighter around Taylor as he stroked him through his climax, his lips and teeth grazing his throat hungrily as he continued to rock against him. "You're  _so_  goddamn beautiful..." The pilot whispered, groaning as he thrust deep within Taylor, his hips stilling as his head fell to Taylors shoulder, his body tense as he gripped Taylor tightly against him.

"... Oh my  _god."_  Taylor groaned thickly, humming contently as his body ached deliciously beneath Jake's careful attention. "Did we actually just get to..?"

"Heh, told ya..." Jake huffed, raising his head to meet Taylors dazed gaze with his own. "Totally alone, Boy Scout." He said, kissing his shoulder gently.

"Hmm, I almost can't believe it..." Taylor huffed, smirking over his shoulder as he wiggled his ass gently. "Except feeling this good can't be a dream." He said, as Jake's fingers curled into his hip tightly. "Hmm, we are most  _definitely_  doing that again, before we have to go back." He said firmly, carefully turning himself to face his pilot.

"Yes,  _sir."_  Jake snickered, drawing him into a deep, lingering kiss. "... I love you, Taylor." He sais quietly, drawing back to gaze at him adoringly.

"I love you too, Jake." Taylor murmured back, gently brushing his lips over the pilots, before drawing back with a brief glance over the edge of the cries nest. "But, we should probably go steer the boat soon..." He added thoughtfully.

Jake made a sound of protest in his throat, tugging Taylor closer and rolling to pin him beneath him with a smug grin, as he covered them with the picnic blanket. "Five more minutes!" He said, beaming as Taylor laughed and drew him down into another deep kiss.

Taylor lost track of time, his body singing with joy as Jake lathered him with attention and affection, his lips barely leaving his skin save for brief gulps of breath. When the blanket slipped, and he noticed stars were coming out above them however, he reluctantly forced himself to sit up. "Jake..." He scolded, as his pilot attempted to encourage him back down, giggling as Jake pouted when he resisted his efforts. He hummed when Jake kissed him again briefly, drawing back with a sigh and helping taylor to retie his robe loosely around his waist, before they made their way down from the crows nest.  _"Brrr..."_  Taylor huffed, shivering as he chafed at his arms. "I'm chilly now."

"Shouldn'tve made me stop then..." Jake snorted, grinning as Taylor swatted his shoulder with a playful scowl. "Well, I could use a drink anyway, I guess. A little rum would fix things... and I think I know just where to find some." He said, smirking as Taylor grabbed his bag, before following him down to the captain's cabin.

Taylor paused after closing the door, biting his lip as he watched his pilot rummage through a cabinet, crammed with rolled up maps and loose parchment, and cheering when he eventually produced a bottle. "Bingo." He chuckled, eyeing the bottle with a proud smirk. "Everyone knows pirates can't do paperwork without booz- ...why're you lookin' at me like that?" He asked suspiciously, raising a brow as he caught Taylor watching him.

Taylor shrugged, moving through the cabin to drop his bag onto the desk, flipping it open to rummage through it quickly. "I uh, I have something for you." He said, clearing his throat when it threatened to close tight. He unzipped the inner pocket and granned the small box Quinn had stashed for him, laughing when he noticed the small bag tucked carefully beside it.  _Probably the last thing we need, but what the hell? You only get one honeymoon, right_? He thought, snickering as he pulled the bag out and dropped it lightly to the desk.

He drew in a deep breath, and offering the box to Jake, his cheeks flaming with heat as the pilot took it gently and opened his mouth to query the gesture. "Just... just open it." Taylor mumbled, fidgeting briefly, before he moved away to scrounge up a pair of glasses and pouring out two drinks.

"Taylor..." Jake breathed, and Taylor glanced up to find the pilot running his finger over the small etchings with narrowed eyes. "This-"

"Yeah, I know." Taylor huffed, blushing in embarrassment as his pilot turned towards him. "Corny as hell... But, it was supposed to be for you to uh, remember me by. Now, I just... Well, they can still be a symbol." He hedged awkwardly, as Jake swept over to him and kissed him intently.

"Dammit, Boy Scout..." He sighed, drawing back to gaze at Taylor in disbelief. "You never cease to surprise me." He said, bumping his forehead to Taylors affectionately.

"I think we're pretty good at surprising each other..." Taylor said, skimming his lips over his pilots, before gesturing to the small box with the rings. "They probably won't fit, but I figured yours could go on your tags chain..." He said, biting his lip softly.

"Hmm, we can put it on when I find 'em in the mornin'." Jake agreed, as Taylor smiled shyly, pleased the gesture was well received, and he offered the pilot a glass. "Ain't the kinda thing you'd normally catch me saying, but... it was a beautiful ceremony." The pilot admitted, as he leaned against the desk and took a sip of his drink.

"Married life making you soft already?" Taylor asked, cheeky grin curling his lips as his confidence returned. Jake chuckled and set the box back into Taylors bag gently, sighing wistfully.

"... Shame Rebecca and my folks couldn't have seen it." Jake said quietly, avoiding Taylors softening gaze, as he laced their fingers together loosely in support, his heart melting for his pilot. "They're about the only people I would have invited, save Mike... Guess the ol' bastard'll have to do me." He huffed, shaking his head as if to clear away the dark thoughts. "How about you?" He asked, as Taylor tensed, freezing in mid-motion of raising his glass for a drink. "Anybody you wish had been there today?"

"Me? Uh..." Taylor hesitated, staring into his glass before grinacing, as he recalled his promise not to hide anything from the pilot again. "I... don't know." He admitted, glancing at the pilot as he seemed to sense the uncertainty in Taylors words, a small frown furrowing his brow. "I don't know." He repeated, sighing as he set his glass down and gently traced his finger around the rim. "I... I don't really remember much from before we landed here."

"Yeah, know what you mean." Jake huffed, squeezing his hand gently as he knocked back his drink and twisted to set the glass down behind him. "It all feels like a lifetime ago..."

"That's not  _quite_  it." Taylor said reluctantly, pursing his lips as Jake frowned and looked back at him curiously. "I mean... I barely remember  _anything._  It's like, my past is there...  _sometimes._  But for some reason, I can't get to it..."

"You mean, like, with the alternate memories thing?" Jake asked, sliding his hand up Taylors arn in a gesture of comfort and support, noticing Taylors rising distress.

"Yes, no... I don't know." Taylor sighed, shaking his head as he tried to think of his past and the memories as ever, fluttered away from him. An idea too large to grasp loomed at the edge of his mind, an idea he was sure he'd almost considered at least once before; until Jake spoke suddenly.

"Screw it." The pilot said softly, curling his arms around Taylors waist and parting his legs to draw Taylor closer.

 _"Huh?"_  Taylor choked, his eyes wide as he laid his hands on the pilots chest, searching his affectionate gaze desperately.

"I said  _screw it_." Jake repeated slowly, his hand rising to brush his knuckles over Taylors cheek in a tender show of affection, as he chuckled quietly. "Ain't got much of a past myself... Who needs it?" He drawled, grinning crookedly at him as Taylors heart swelled with love and affection at his pilots gesture; his offer to wipe away their fears, at least for the night, and remain focused on each other.

As Jake turned and poured himself another drink awkwardly, Taylor took a discreet deep breath, attempting to temper his overwhelming rush of joy and happiness. "Here's to the future." Jake said, raising his glass in a toat and beaming as he faced Taylor again, causing Taylors heart to begin racing out of his control once more without realising.  _"Our_  future."

"To the future." Taylor agreed, unable to wipe the wide smile from his face as he gazed at his pilot adoringly, clinking his glass to Jake's before they downed their drinks.

"Speaking of that," Jake said thoughtfully, looking up at him curiously. "How do you want to spend the first night, of the rest of your life?" He asked, his free arm curling tighter around Taylors waist and held him close.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, taking Jake's glass and swapping it for an Opaba Lisi from the small bag, bringing it to his lips with a small smirk. He popped the aphrodisiac in his mouth and offered one to his pilot as he leaned closer, swallowing his own quickly as Jake accepted and grinned in confusion. "How about... on top of that desk..." He said, snickering as Jake choked in surprise.

 _"Again?"_  He coughed, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylor in shocked awe. Taylor bit his lip, his hear pounding wildly with his overwhelming desire to convey the deep sense of love and gratitude he felt for his pilot. "I mean, I'm not complaining, but-" Taylor grinned as he threw his own glass aside, sweeping everything off the desk and pushed Jake backwards.  _"Oof!"_  The pilot huffed, his shocked expression morphing into a broad grin as he propped himself on his elbows. "Remind me not to get on your bad side!" Jake laughed lightly, his eyes smoldering with growing desire as he watched Taylor climb onto the desk carefully.

Taylor grinned wolfishly, kneeling over Jake, as his fingers crept into his waistband. "That was a nice picnic you threw me earlier... But, you know what I could go for now?" He asked curiously, slowly peeling his pilots remaining clothing away, as he dipped his head to kiss the pilots knee.  _"Dessert."_  He murmured huskily, grinning broadly as he slowly kissed his way up the inside of Jake's thigh.

Jake hissed with pleasure, one hand raising to thread itself into Taylors hair. "You're something else..." He said, a beautiful smile lighting his face as their eyes locked, and he watched Taylor slowly kiss his way higher. "You know that, Taylor?"

"Hmm, you know, I've always liked it when you say my name..." Taylor hummed thoughtfully, tracing his tongue along the underside of Jake's cock, before drawing back slightly to grin at his pilot when Jake groaned and fell back to the desk. "Now, let's see... if you can say it a little louder..." He said, lowering himself again and focusing himself on showing his pilot the depth of his true feelings.

In the small hours of the morning, he finally allowed Jake to sleep, watching the pilot affectionately as the man snored softly in his exhaustion. His heart swelled, utterly consumed with love and affection for the other man. His eyes stung with tears of joy, as he bit his lip and idly traced across Jake's torso with gentle fingertips. "I love you..." He whispered, swallowing heavily at the cloud of ominous foreboding which tried to wheedle its way into his gut. He laid his head on Jake's shoulder, his pilot immediately rolling to curl around him, as he buried himself in the safety of the other mans embrace, and finally allowed himself to sleep.

In the morning, they spent an extended 'five more minutes' in bed, entwining themselves for what they understood could be the final chance they had for awhile, before they reluctantly gathered their things and dressed themselves. Taylor sighed as he looked in his bag, grabbing the small box off the top and turning towards Jake. "C'mere, Top Gun." He said quietly, smiling as Jake stepped closer and handed him his dog tags knowingly. Taylor but his lip as he opened the chain, and slid it through the Lupus ring before quickly closing it again, and gently lowering it over his pilots head. "'Fraid mine's gonna have to stay in the box awhile... but its a bonus I even got it to be honest, so it's not like I can complain." He hummed, tracing his finger over the gold ring on Jake's chain, as the pilot gently curled his fingers beneath Taylors chin.  _"Mmm..."_  He moaned quietly, as Jake kissed him softly, a tender show of appreciation and affection.

"I could stay here with you like this forever..." Jake murmured, drawing back with a reluctant sigh.

"If we don't fix the world, you might get to." Taylor snorted, shaking his head as he bit his lip guiltily. "Sorry, that was-"

"Don't worry 'bout it, Boy Scout." Jake huffed, his eyes glittering with amusement as he grinned down at Taylor lopsidedly. "I know what ya meant. And besides, we got a house to start buildin', right?" He snickered, as Taylor rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag, his pilot lacing their fingers together as a time rift opened on the other side of the desk.

Taylor sighed, shaking his head as Jake led him around the desk. "Back to reality..." He said sadly, as Jake snickered at his dramatic display. He took a deep breath, as the two of them entered the time rift, and arrived at a grassy hill outside of Elyys'tel. As soon as the time rift sealed, Taylor caught sight of Michelle standing by herself, gazing out to sea. "Michelle?" Taylor called, his eyes widening as he noticed her tense stance. "Everything okay?"

 _"O-oh!_  Hey." The blonde gasped, glancing back before wiping at her face quickly, before turning to face them with an unconvincing smile. "Back so soon? How was your getaway?" She asked eagerly, attempting to divert their attention from her obvious state, unaware of the dark streak of mascara which remained on her left cheek.

Jake and Taylor exchanged a knowing glance, before releasing each others hands and moving closer to the blonde, boxing her between them. "Is something wrong?" Taylor asked, looking over at Jake in concern as Michelle ducked her head to hide her face.

"What's on your mind, Maybelline?" Jake urged gently, his arm coming to rest around her shoulder, gently drawing her into his side.

"Oh, it's... Just been kind of a long week, you know?" She said dismissively, offering a weak laugh as she playfully whacked Taylors wrist. "Saving Taylor, patching Taylor up, wash, rinse and repeat..." She chuckled, biting her lip as she peeked up and saw the unconvinced looks they exchanged. "Oh my god, is that real gold?!" She asked, grabbing for Jake's ring on his tags, only for the pilot to snag her hand before she could grasp it.

"Michelle..." Taylor said gently, as the blonde closed her eyes in defeat. "Does anyone know you're out here? We should probably head back... The others will be worried." He said, and in a heartbeat, Michelle's façade shattered. The blonde stifled a sob and covered her face with her hands, as Taylor looked up at Jake in guilty panic. "Michelle?" Taylor pressed worriedly, drawing her from his pilot and wrapping his arms around her tightly, holding her as a torrent of emotion flooded forth.

"I know that life's not fair... but it  _hurts_  sometimes, you know?" She said despairingly, as Taylor bit back a choked scoff, squeezing her gently as he understood only too well how she felt. "Everything I've done, I've planned so carefully... I've always tried to put the needs of those around me first.  _Always."_  She said, her voice trembling beneath her heavy emotional turmoil. "And maybe, I forgot to think about myself. And now, it just feels...  _too late_." She sighed brokenly, as she buried her face in her hands.

Taylors heart clenched for the blonde, her sense of loss palpable in the air around them. He glanced up, noticing Vaanu hovering nearby, watching them intently. "... You deserve to be happy to, Michelle." He whispered quietly, stroking her arm as Vaanu floated forward, bringing something closer to them.

Taylor narrowed his eyes distrustfully at the spectral being, unsettled by the exchange they'd shared, where the presence had evaded his questions. Michelle however, stared at the powder blue tubing in the beings hands in astonishment. "That's my-" she gasped, as Taylor snatched the stethoscope from Vaanu and pressed it gently into the blondes hands.

The moment it touched the blondes fingers, Taylors world was swallowed by a burst of light, which quickly cleared to reveal a hospital room. He was startled to see Sean's mother, lying down and tapping a TV remote impatiently. "They don't have any sports channels?" She snorted, shaking her head as she scowled at the screen in furious disbelief. "I'm  _not_  about to sit here and watch a bunch of tacky gossip-"

Michelle walked in confidently, a long white coat over a basic black shirt, and her hair pulled up into a smart ponytail. "Morning, Mrs. Gayle." She said, scratching something onto a form on her clipboard, before looking up with a wide smile. "How are we doing today?" She asked, leaning down and placing her Tiffany blue stethoscope over Tricia's heart.

"Michell, honey, you know you're to call me Tricia." The woman said with a long suffering sigh, revealing her fondness at their familiar banter."And I'll be a whole lot better, if you've got a new back for me."

"You're actually in really good shape." Michelle said, looking up at Tricia with a smile, as she performed several small examinations and checked the woman over thoroughly. "The X-rays show that your realignment surgery has taken nicely..." She said, drawing back to beam a pleased smile down at her patient. "One or two more days off your feet, and you should be good to go."

"I'm never gonna be 'good to go' with this old spine." Tricia groused stubbornly, before winking up at Michelle. "But, I'll take it." She chuckled, as Michelle filled out her chart. Tricia watched her thoughtfully, a small wrinkle marring her brow as she took in the blonde. "You've done well for yourself here."

"They keep me busy, that's for sure!" Michelle replied cheerfully, grinning at Tricia distractedly, as her eyes remained glued to her chart.

"Honey, listen..." Tricia said, reaching over to gently grasp one of Michelle's hands, preventing her from completing her task. "Honestly, I always thought you were perfect for my Sean... I  _knew_  what he heard from those girls, couldn't be true. But still, it didn't work out, and it hurt you  _real_  bad, I know..." She said softly, smiling reassuringly as Michelle gripped her pen and clipboard in a white knuckled grip. "I just wanna say, that I'm proud of you. You didn't let it drag you down... And now here you are, living your dream."

"Well..." Michelle balked, her cheeks flooding with colour as she gazed in wide eyed surprise at Sean's mother. "Trying to, I guess, but... Thank you." She said, rearranging her expression into a small, grateful smile.

"You got ten times the spine I'll  _ever_  have, that's for sure." Tricia snorted, beaming a fond, wide grin at the blonde.

"I don't know about that!" Michelle scoffed, laughing as she smiled down at Tricia. "You're a force to be reckoned with Mrs. Ga- Tricia." She relented, chuckling when Tricia pumped the air with her fist at her small victory.

"I guess we'll see!" Tricia laughed, relaxing into her bed as she glanced at the doorway, before grinning mischievously at the blonde. "You got someone in your life these days?" She asked innocently, though her smile faded as Michelle's gaze drifted back to her chart. She set it down and smoothed her coat, preparing to leave.

"Like i said, they keep me busy." The blonde said evasively, clearing her throat as she patted Tricia's arm gently. "Anyway, you just work on that recovery, okay?" She said, turning to open the door and leave, only to find it already open; and a familiar face gazing at her with a soft smile standing within.

"Was hoping I might run into you." Sean said quietly, beaming at Michelle as she noticed him. The blondes professional demeanour softened, a small smile beginning to lighten up her face.

She quickly brushed the expression away, clearing her throat as she tried to slip past Sean and leave. "Sorry, but I've got four other patients to-" she began, only for Sean to step into her path and block her exit.

"I know, you're working hard, but maybe..." The athlete said quickly, his nerves apparent in his trembling hand, as he offered her one of two bouquets of vibrant, stargazer lilies he was carrying. "You could take this with you?"

Michelle looked down in surprise, to fund that perched amid the flowers was a card which read  **I'm sorry**. She looked back up at the athlete, her eyes wide as she bit her lip incertainly. "Look, I know its a long time coming..." Sean said guiltily, his expression falling as he gazed at her imploringly. "I just wanted you to know that I really messed up... and I hope someday, I'll get the chance to  _truly_  make it up to you." Michelle blinked, taken aback by the sudden emotional confession, looking down at the flowers again as she swallowed heavily. "Please take it, Michelle." He pleaded softly.

Tricia watched from the bed, her eyes flitting between them both in nervous hope. "Nobody's perfect, but he's trying honey." She said gently, as Michelle eyed the magenta and white flowers a moemtn longer, before finally pursing her lips in disapproval.

"I actually hate stargazers..." She sniffed, before a coy amirk spread across her face, and she gently tool the flowers from Sean's grasp. "But I suppose I can make an exception in this case... Just this once!" She giggled.

"More than generous." Sean agreed, his shoulders slumping in relief, as his eyes lit with hope and a huge smile spread across his face. "Maybe... We could talk later?" He asked hopefully, scratching his neck awkwardly.

Michelle smiled softly, winking at him as she turned to leave. "My doors always open." She said, as a flare of light blinded Taylor briefly; before returning him to the hills near Elyys'tel.

Michelle gazed down at her stethoscope in wonder, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "I'd heard the spirit could..." She gasped, looking up at Taylor, as he grinned at her fondly. "But..." She looked up, as several of their friends came walking up from the beach to join them.

"Yo, we heard the VIP lounge's over here." Craig called, as Quinn skipped forward a d threw her arms around Taylor, hugging him tightly as he snickered and swung her in a small circle.

"You okay, Michelle?" Grace asked, noticing the small black mark still on the blondes cheek.

"Much better," the blonde sighed, smiling a genuine smile for the first time since Jake and Taylor had stepped through the time rift. "Thanks to Taylor." She added fondly.

"Huh?" Taylor asked, laughing as he almost dropped Quinn while turning back to the blonde, and barely dodging the redheads angry swat of retaliation.

"Hey, hey!" Jake groused, stepping between them with a smirk. "Only one allowed to spank him now, is me." He said proudly, snickering as Taylor choked and flushed red.

 _"Jake!"_  He cried, slapping his pilots shoulder firmly. "You tell them right now I am not I do  _not_  let you do that!" He demanded, his eyes narrowing as Jake merely grinned at him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "You remember the thing I did last night?" He asked suddenly, trying for a different tactic as the pilot nodded and continued to draw him closer. "Well, you tell them  _right now_ , or I won't  _ever_  do it again..." He threatened weakly, as Jake grinned at him wolfishly and leaned closer.

"... Yeah ya will." He murmured knowingly, before touching their lips together in a tentatively gentle, but breathstealing kiss.

 _"Mm..."_  Taylor hummed, giving in and losing himself to Jake's insistent kiss. " _Bad Top Gun..._ " He mumbled against his lips, breaking into a sappy grin as Jake drew back and thee him a cocky wink.

Michelle gazed past them as they shared their intimate moment, looking out across the sun dappled hills. "The light put here is really beautiful..." She murmured, before gasping in sudden delight. "I've got an idea!" She cried, rummaging in her bah briefly and producing an old polaroid camera from her bag.

"Group selfie time?" Diego guessed, grinning widely as he stepped up beside Jake and Taylor, the pilot releasing his hold so Taylor and Diego could trade a brief embrace.

"Group selfie time!" Michelle called, as everyone cheered and laughed excitedly.

"Haha! Lets do it!" Quinn giggled, throwing herself around Michelle and tucking her head over her shoulder.

Taylor looked around his friends, his heart radiating warmth, love and affection for the people who had cone to mean the world to him. "Everyone cram in!" He cried, beaming as he brushed aside a lingering tendril of ominous foreboding from the when he'd watched Jake sleep.

Michelle pulled him to her side, angling the camera as everyone else rushed behind them, posing for the shot. The photo slid out of the camera and into Michelle's hand, and she held it up as the picture formed, for everyone to see.

Taylors eyes ran over everyone eagerly, from Craig holding his fingers over Zahra's cocky pose, to Diego photo bombing behind them. Estela was actually smiling, beside Grace's joyful grin. Sean stood proudly at the back, his height towering him over everyone, as Raj grinned beside him. Michelle smiled adorijgly at the camera beside himself, his own giddy grin undeniable, as his tropical handfasting bloom glowed behind his ear; as Quinn's head barely poked over Michelle's shoulder. Finally Taylor grinned and drank in his pilot, whose joyful grin was matched only by his cocky two finger salute.

His heart melted in joyful affection, his eyes welling with tears as he gazed at his friends happy faces staring back at him. "Ah!" He cried, suddenly clutching at his chest as it thudded paindfully against his ribs, his head pounding with a sudden, urgent lance of pain.  _"Aaah!"_

"Taylor!" Jake cried, shoving past everyone and catching him before he could topple to his knees, his cerluean eyes wide in fear as he carefully sank to his knees with Taylor clutched in his arms.  _"Taylor..!_  What is it? What-"

Taylor's ears were flooded by a ringing sensation, as he watched Michelle set the photo on her bag, before racing to his side. Unbidden, Rourke's smug voice reverberated through his mind, their discussion from the lake suddenly replaying itself to him.  _During the most recent expansion of The Celestial's facilities, a worker discovered a photograph buried in the sands... It was dated to be five hundred years old, despite the art of the photography only having existed for two hundred... Photographed therein were eleven young people. All of you; save for Aleister_. He recalled in a heartbeat, his hand trembling as he pointed to the photo weakly. "Stop..." He murmured, attempting to reach for it, only for the wind to catch it and drag it away.  _"No..."_  He choked, his vision blurring with tears of realisation.

"Taylor! Look at me,  _dammit!"_  Jake growled frantically, shaking his shoulder lightly as he slowly turned back to his pilot, the pain in his head receding, now that its message had been delivered.  _"There_  you are... What the  _hell_  just-"

"That was it..." He whispered brokenly, his hand clutching the pilots jacket as he gazed up at him with watery eyes. "That was the Catalyst... What Rourke's worker found! The photo he told me he found; that he saw all of us in! Jake,  _that's_  how he found you all..." He choked, swallowing heavily against his rising tide of grief.

"I don't care..." Jake murmured, his arms tightening around him, pulling him closer into his lap, as the others looked on worriedly.

"Jake-" Taylor protested, his fingers curling into the pilots collar as Jake shook his head and cut him off.

 _"I don't care, Taylor! I'm glad, okay?_!" He finally roared, his hand rising to Taylors cheek as he gazed at him with pained cerulean eyes. "I'm glad, he found me and brought me here, and put me through hell. I would do it  _all_  again, without a seconds hesitation; to find  _you..."_  He said, pausing a moment Taylor sobbed brokenly, before leaning down to kiss him fiercely.

 _"Jake..."_  Taylor murmured, as the pilot drew back, carefully helping Taylor back to his feet. He opened his mouth to say something further, when brisk footsteps approached across the grass. The group turned, as Aleister came running over, panting for breath.

"Everyone..." He gasped, his eyes wide as he looked around them all urgently. "W-we're in grave danger..!" He choked, doubling over as Grace rushed to his side in concern.

"Aleister, slow down..." She said, helping to straighten as he tried to catch his breath."What's wrong?" She pressed, staring at him worriedly, as Aleister slowly raised his haunted gaze to Taylors.

The pale boy pointed to the south, where the midday sky was darkening impossibly towards The Celestial. Taylors heart began to sink, for above the hotel, he saw an enormous vortex; swallowing all light and shape around it. " _Time's up."_  He breathed, burying his face into Jake's jacket as his stomach hpllowed, wishing they'd never returned from the Dorado.

"It's over." Aleister said, unknowingly echoing Taylors thoughts. "We're done." He added, shaking his head in defeat, as he stared at the swirling vortex in resignation. "He's activated Project Janus..."


	12. Interim 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the final interim...  
> I feel so unbelievably nervous.
> 
> I know where i wan4 to end this - and how. Im just REALLY not sure im good enough to actually do it justice..
> 
> But still. I hope you enjoy this final background piece... i hope to have the next chapter ready midweek - but im gonna be honest... i do not know if that will happen XD
> 
> Thankyou so much everyone for your comments kudo and support - the fact you jave read this at all nakes my heart wanna inplode with joy. That you like it - makes it avtually do it. There arent words for what you all mean to me, qlong with your support - and although i am thinking three more chapters - i could well be wrong. Once this is fonished however - i really hope youll be nearby for all the one shots and other fics/novelisations i have plotted out xxx  
> (This is ne shutting up now)
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I know I didn't exactly like the bastard, but... I guess it was still kind of sad, in a way. Seeing him just, **end,**  like that. After such an endless cycle of lives, to just, fade away... Seems kind of harsh. But I guess its only what he deserved in the end... What I, deserve._

_I admit it; I'm nervous, Top Gun. I don't know if it will hurt, or how... **it**  will happen. I've always had you to count to hold me when I'm scared before, or at least to come save me. I wish you could again... I wonder if it will be the same as The Endless, or more... I don't even know. Honestly, that's not what even scares me anymore. It's knowing there's no coming back..._

_I wish... So many things. Obviously, that this uh, development, wasn't hanging over me. That would be good. I wish that I could be, everything I promised you I'd be. Everything... I thought I **was,**  to all of you, throughout this... Crazy, journey._

_I wish I could have seen you at such a ripe age as The Endless, it seems unfair you got to see me before we ever got to that point together; but then again, we never will... And it's not like you'll remember what you saw anyway, so... I can wait. I bet you're still gonna be every bit the risk taking, life loving and... Amazing, person you are now. Though of course, again... I guess, it doesn't matter anymore anyway._

_You're almost to the end after all... And by the time you finally do turn that final page; it will all be over, and I-_

_Well... Maybe I'll be lucky, and sometimes you'll dream of me..._

_But, if you're the lucky one..._

_You won't remember me at all._

**12.**

**Interim 8: Finale.**

**Meanwhile, somewhere along the coast of La Huerta's coastline...**

The Endless laid back on the sand, his red spacesuit a tattered ruin. "Time... for me to go..." He croaked tiredly, extinguishing the flame in his mechanical hand and staring up at the starry sky. After a few moments, he chuckled softly. "In the end, ha... I couldn't even save myself." He huffed, groaning as his felt his life slipping from his grasp.

"Perhaps Taylor was right, to be so skeptical of my abilities." He snorted, sighing as his face fell into a sad frown. "I had hoped... they'd all be here, when it was my time. But, it's enough to know they'll finally be safe." He murmured, voicing his thoughts aloud, as a shooting star momentarily lit up the night sky.

"Oh!" The Endless gasped, his eyes stinging with tears. "Oh,  _there_  you are!" He breathed, gazing at the glittering constellations above him, his eyes wide with a tender and childlike joy. "I see you, Quinn." He beamed, beaming up at the stars, which seemed to twinkle in response to his affectionate call. "Still swimming merrily along... No matter how strong the tide that pushes against you." He said fondly, his head rocking over the sand gently.

"And there's Craig!" He gasped suddenly, his eyes widening as he found another familiar constellation glittering down at him. "Ha, barrelling through everything and everyone, just like a rampaging bear!" He chuckled, glancing to another nearby set of stars. "Zahra, off on your own again, little crow? Ah, but I know that's where you were always happiest..." He said, his eyes blazing as he looked over to another group of stars.

"... Just like Jake." He murmured thickly, his heart fluttering as he allowed himself to reach for and gently clasp the tarnished dog tags beneath his ruined space suit. "The lone wolf... we  _all_  came to love." He said, tears blurring his vision as he stared at the glowing constellation a moment longer, before forcing himself to look for another.

"There's Aleister!" He gasped, shaking his head softly as he choked back the grief which attempted to consume him, smothering himself instead in the affection he felt for his friends. "That serpentine gaze never quite fit with your kind heart, did it, my friend?" He asked softly, a large grin blossoming on his face, as his body weakened.

"Raj! Half man, half magic. Still living his own unique truth..." He said, coughing quietly as he looked across a short distance between the constellations. "And with him, Michelle... Unfurling her colours, for all to see."

He gazed at the stars joyfully, searching for the rest of his friends as he sensed his time grow short. "My fearless dragon, Estela... My mild and lovely Grace, my loyal Diego..." He said, swallowing hard against the vast emotions which overwhelmed him at the memory of his once best friend. "And Sean... Watching over them all, like the proud, soaring eagle he is."

The Endless fought back the tightness in his throat, his eyes stinging fiercely with the love and affection he felt for his friends; and his joy, at having them surround him, one final time.  _"Thank you,_  my friends... for each  _beautiful_  day. For  _all_  that we shared." He said, drawing in a final, deep and shivering breath, as his tears of joy finally flowed freely. "You were  _everything..._  and more. It's because of  _you..."_  He whispered, his eyes drifting back to Lupus, his fingers curling tightly around the tags over his heart. "That I know what... love is..." He breathed, as there; alone, but under countless stars, The Endless faded away, forever.

**Several hours earlier...**

The Omega Mech descended onto the rooftop of The Celestial, its thrusters blasting furniture and decorations out of its way. "And here we are. At the end, and the beginning..." Rourke drawled smugly, as Iris's hologram appeared next to him.

"The cloning process is still incomplete. It's strongly advised that Project Janus be delayed, until a new subject is prepared." She said, her emotionless voice quiet as she stared blankly ahead of her.

"You already gave me a child, Iris. He was  _useless_  to me." Rourke sneered dismissively, focusing his attention on the mech and its readouts.

"The new subject benefits from Hostile specimen DNA-" Iris began to counter scientifically, only to fall silent at her masters curt call.

"Destroy it." He ordered, never even glancing at her as he flipped several switches and dials inside the mech.

"Please confirm command." Iris murmured robotically, her eyes flickering as she prepared to obey.

"Destroy it!" Rourke snarled, finally glancing at her with a scowl. "Do you think I need another 'baby with no crying' from you? The first cost you dearly, and you've nothing left to pay for another with." He spat, before calming himself, and plastering a self satisfied grin to his face. "I have a strong, worthy daughter... And I'm all the family she has left." He murmured smugly.

The elevator opened behind him, and Lundgren stepped out, grimacing as he walked over. "You got enough firepower at your fingertips to make an Apache copter blush." He said scathingly, frowning at Rourke in confusion. "The hell do you need my men for?"

"The early stages of Project Janus cannot be disturbed, Mr. Lundgren." Rourke said dismissively, glancing at the soldier only briefly. "Your compensation was increased to commensurate with recent losses."

"And what am I supposed to do with your briefcase fulla cash, now that the  _world's_  gone, huh?" Lundgren demanded, scowling at Rourke hatefully.

The mech turned slowly, taking a single step towards Lundgren, as the man set his jaw and held his ground fiercely. The robot crouched, and its cockpit opened, allowing Rourke to stand. "Oh, no, my friend... The world is only beginning!" He corrected gleefully, raising his arms like a victorious king, basking in the praise and glory of his worshipping subjects. "And it will soon revolve, around men like you and I. You understand what it is to be feared, Mr. Lundgren, but do you understand what it is to be worshipped? To make mountains, fall at your whim? To be as we are now, forever?"

Lundgren frowned and grimaced distrustfully, as Rourke locked eyes with him. "This is  _our_  time." He said proudly, a maniacal grin spreading across his face. "We can't let it slip through our fingers."

The military commander sighed, rolling his neck until it clicked. "Yeah... I can make sure they're cut down." He assured at last, as he rubbed his shoulder thoughtfully. "No one's getting up here." He finally said.

 _"Excellent."_  Rourke gloated smugly, his eyes glittering with malicious glee, as he glanced over at the stoic hologram. "Iris, you may begin. 'Let us make man in our image' and all that, yes?" He chuckled, as he stepped out of the mech. The giant robot rose to a standing position, as blue light flared in its free hand.

"Project Janus initiated." Iris confirmed, the faintest glimmer of regret sparking within her flickering eyes, before it was wiped away by blank vacancy. "Spacetime disruption will commence in three... two... one-"

 _"A door opens..."_  Rourke whispered, as a blinding flash of light flared; before leaving them in a thick darkness. " _And chaos... becomes order!"_


	13. Like There's No Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :O
> 
> Oh my... this was both really hard and really fast to write; which is very weird...
> 
> I am really nervous about this. Im not even kidding i am so, so freaking out about it.  
> I hope it doesnt give away too much, so you still feel a little shocked by the ending... but, i also hope this chapter packs a punch because i cried a lot writing it.
> 
> Im actually gonna shut up before i start rambling incoherently about my nervousness. So.. i reaaaally hope you enjoy this...
> 
> x My love to you all x

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I can only imagine the things you're screaming about me just now... If it's any consolation, I've likely screamed them myself to. I've always tried to stay positive; for all of your sakes... I never wanted to be the weak link, to let anyone down. Least of all you. Even so, the few times I have almost broken, you've been there to put me back together._

_But... now its just me. And, I think a little breakdown is at least understandable. I want you to know that I didn't make this decision lightly. Ultimately, I guess I'm just a coward, and I don't want to have to see the look on your face when I-_

_Please, know that you are the best thing to have ever happened to me. And there will never come a day, that I regret meeting you, loving you... marrying you. I will cherish every moment we ever shared, in this lifetime or any other... Always..._

**13.**

**Like There's No Tomorrow**.

Taylor forced himself to pull away from Jake's jacket, his hollow stomach twisting as he once again followed Aleister's finger to the dark vortex above The Celestial. "He's activated Project Janus, despite everything we've done." Aleister said, his voice trembling in fearful resignation as he shook his head sadly.

"I'm so sorry..." Taylor murmured, lowering his eyes to the ground, as he folded his arms around himself; ashamed of his inability to protect his friends. "I should have remembered what Rourke said about the photo sooner. I should have forced myself to look harder for what it could mean... I-" he fell silent suddenly, frowning as he felt a hand press itself over his mouth.

"Shut up." Jake said firmly, scowling at him, as he shook his head and gestured around the rest of the group with his free hand. "Do you see or hear anyone placing blame on you, Taylor?" He demanded, as Taylor's gaze hardened, and he slapped Jake's hand and squirmed away from the pilot.

 _"I blame me_!" He spat, the hollowness in his stomach spreading to his heart, as he gazed at his pilot brokenly. "If I'd just remembered his damn gloating, I could have prevented all of you from having to go through  _all_  this shit! He wouldn't have brought you here, none of this... none of it would-"

"Yeah  _exactly,_  Taylor; none of it would have happened. I wouldn't have found out Mike was alive." Jake said scathingly, ignoring Taylors flinch at Mike being the first thing for him to list. "I wouldn't have met you, wouldn'tve finally felt at peace with myself, wouldn't be bloody married!" The pilot seethed, his eyes glittering with fury as he gazed at Taylor, who lowered his gaze again as his eyes filled with heavy tears of guilt and frustration. "Taylor, could you just...  _not_  be an idiot, and consider that maybe we  _don't_  regret comin' here?" Taylor turned away, his heart shrivelling in despair. He struggled weakly, when Jake wrapped his arms around his torso from behind, slowly drawing him closer against the pilot. "You know I love you. Please,  _don't_  make it seem like you regret gettin' hitched; because I really don't wanna be tellin' people that my husband, is not only an idiot, but a dick too."

Taylor huffed, his hands covering Jake's as he gazed out vacantly ahead of them. "You such a sweet talker..." He mumbled, shaking his head as he sighed wearily, before turning in his pilots embrace. "I'm sorry, Jake, you  _know_  I don't regret just about anything that involves you. But, all the same, I just... I can't not feel like this is my fault. I want to believe you; but, I just can't... You would all have been better off-"

"Don't you  _dare_  say it, Taylor." Jake warned lowly, tightening his hold on him and digging his fingers into Taylors shoulder. "Don't you dare even  _think_  it."

Taylor sighed, burying his nose in his pilots jacket, as he peeked over Jake's shoulder at the scowls he was receiving from his friends. "Don't look at me like that." He muttered, closing his eyes and gripping Jake's jacket tighter, as he pressed his face into his pilots throat and choked brokenly. "I just... want you all to be safe."

"Yeah well, maybe we want  _you_  to be safe." Diego snarked, glaring at him as he folded his arms over his chest. "Maybe I don't want my best friend to be wishing away my handfasting."

"You know that's  _not_  what-" Taylor protested, pulling away from Jake to frown back at Diego.

"Whether you mean it that way or not, it's how it seems, Taylor." Quinn said quietly, her cheeks puffing out as she pouted at him reproachfully. "You always try to wish us out of harms way, but you end up putting yourself in it, and that scares us more than the danger we were facing in the first place..." She said, as he sighed and walked over slowly, drawing her into his arms and holding her loosely as she clutched at his shoulders.

"I just wish you didn't have to face all this..." He said, swallowing heavily as Jake's hand settled on his shoulder, releasing Quinn as he straightened and turned back.

"But, we do, and there's nothin' you can do to stop us." His pilot said firmly, his gaze finally softening as he heaved a heavy sigh. "Taylor, just... don't do anything  _stupid,_  okay? If this is really the final push; we need to work together, Boy Scout."

Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair as he nodded, allowing Jake to pull him into a tight embrace as he laid his cheek against the pilots shoulder. "Together..." He mumbled in vague agreement, taking a deep breath and attempting to lock his emotions away.

"But, how is this even possible?" Grace asked, drawing them all back to the ominous vortex swirling over The Celestial. "I thought Rourke was still missing part of The Islands Heart..." She said quickly, glancing around as she tapped her fingers together nervously.

Taylor flinched, Jake's embrace tightening for a moment as a deep, rumbling horn blast sounded from within the boughs of Elyys'tel. They turned as Varyyn raced towards them, snatching up Diego's hand almost desperately, before looking around the group urgently. "It is a terrible omen, my friends." He said, shaking his head as he tried to calm himself.

"I remember Uqzhaal talking about this..." Diego said quietly, looking up at Varyyn sadly, as he rubbed his hand gently. "'On the final day of Raan'losti, a gaping hole will puncture the heavens... and all of existence, will vanish through it.'"

Taylor snapped his head towards his friend sharply, before quickly looking to the floor, narrowing his eyes as he thought frantically.  _This is supposed to have never happened before... So then, how did The Endless know?_  He wondered, swallowing heavily as he reluctantly considered the likelihood that he'd been misled once again.

"A more or less accurate depiction, I'm afraid." Aleister sighed, shaking his head forlornly as he looked over the group sadly. "He's created a time rift, large enough to permanently destabilize reality." He explained, as the group fell into a thoughtful and tense silence.

Taylor looked at Jake, his pilots clear eyes clouded by concern as he gazed back at him. He leaned closer and nuzzled his jaw affectionately, both giving and taking comfort, as Jake held him close. "We need to get to The Celestial." Estela said, drawing them from their intimate exchange, as they looked towards her. Before the dark haired girl could continue, Seraxa arrived at Varyyn's side.

"I've called for every warrior in Elyys'tel to assemble." She informed him, bowing lightly as she glanced around the others briefly. "Our forces will be ready within the hour."

"Whoever goes to face Rourke may not come back..." Quinn said quietly, as Taylor made a distinct noise of protest in his throat.

Jake groaned quietly and rolled his eyes, scowling at the redhead in exasperation. "Way to go, Red.  _You_  can talk him outta whatever stupid plan forms from  _that_  little slip." He groused, as Quinn flushed guiltily.

"No Vaanti will cower, while Raan'losti looms before us." Varyyn growled fiercely, glaring around them all as if daring anyone to argue with him. "We will fight to the end."

Taylor grimaced, sensing the Elyyshar's determination, and he sighed as he met Varyyn's intent gaze with his own. "To the end." He said, as Jake gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Follow me," Seraxa said, leading everyone through the great tree city and along the familiar path towards the Valley of Tombs.

"Remember the last time we came along here." Jake murmured quietly, glancing towards Taylor thoughtfully, as they trailed along at the back of the group.

"Hmm, we were heading the other way... But it wasn't exactly a fun trip then, either." Taylor replied, sighing as he leaned his head against Jake's shoulder. They walked in silence for a short distance, before he looked up at his pilot. "Jake... I'm scared." He admitted quietly, his eyes stinging as Jake looked down and met his gaze with a raised brow. "You, all of you, mean so much to me... You're  _everything._  I don't want anything to happen to yo-"

"Taylor, we've been over this." Jake said gently, shaking his head slowly. "How you feel now, we  _all_  feel. And we ain't leavin' to let you get yourself in trouble. So shut up, and deal with the fact that we're all in this thing together."

Taylor huffed, feigning a pout as he came to a halt and turned to his pilot fully. "... Married lifes made you all bossy, now. I preferred it when it made you soft and sappy." He complained, jostling the pilots shoulder, as a tiny smile curved his lips.

"Took a leaf outta your book." Jake snorted, his eyes sparking with a flicker of mischief briefly. "And I was under the distinct impression, after last night, that you preferred me anythin'  _but_  soft..." The pilot hummed, as Taylor snickered quietly and stepped into his arms.

"Hmm, well, what can I say?" He saud quietly, his lips grazing Jake's as the pilot leaned closer. "I get withdrawals..." He breathed, as Jake kissed him lightly, stealing his breath as he tried to reassure and comfort him.  _"Mmm..."_  He hummed softly, pouting when Jake moved away far too soon for his liking.

"Taylor, you get a grip and help us get this over with; and I  _promise_  you, I'll kiss you like that as long as you damn well want. Hell, I'll do a lot darn sight more'n just kiss ya like that..." The pilot swore fiercely, his determined gaze blazing with sincerity, drawing a small hopeful flutter from Taylors hollowed stomach.

He bit his lip and tried to fan the barely discernible flicker of desire in his numbed heart. He forced himself to focus on his affection and trust in the pilot, filling the hollowness which had tried to consume him with hope and determination. "You're one hell of a morale booster, ya know that, Top Gun?" He finally murmured, sighing as he leaned his forehead to the pilots chin, his heart rapidly increasing the pace of its hopeful racing. "But now I wish we were back on the damn ship again..." He muttered darkly, twisting his face up to press a kiss beneath Jake's jaw. "Hell, I wish we never bloody left." He added petulantly.

Jake chuckled dryly, pulling free to kiss Taylor again, before nudging him to walk ahead of him. "Me too, Boy Scout, me too." He hummed, and Taylor glanced back to see the pilots wistful gaze drifting over his hips to his ass. He snickered, and grabbed the pilots hand, pulling him up to walk beside him as they hurried to catch up to the others. As they emerged in the Valley of Tombs, Taylors eyes widened in surprise, as he ran his eyes over the dozens of Vaanti warriors were gathering in the secluded canyon. He exchanged a brief glance with Jake, before they quickly crossed the clearing between themselves and their friends.

"The Owls require more bows!" Yelled one Vaanti, his golden eyes glowing fiercely through the eye holes of his owl mask.

"Wolves, at attention!" Snarled a green skinned female, gesturing furiously at their sloppy formation and lackluster weaponry. "We will not stop Raan'losti with this mess!" Jake paused, raising a brow curiously as a small smug grin lit his face, before Taylor rolled his eyes and dragged him away.

"I didn't know Oompa Loompas had numbers like this!" The pilot commented lightly, as they stepped up to the group.

"It's like when the elves came to Helms Deep!" Diego agreed, looking around in awe as his remained locked onto Varyyn, as the Elyyshar ascended onto a stone platform. "We're saved!" He whispered quickly, as an attendant sounded a giant horn beside Varyyn. All at once, the Vaanti warriors fell silent, turning their undivided attention to their king.

"My fellow warriors of Elyys'tel, our time has come!" He called loudly, his fierce gaze roaming over his people. "The Hydra has called forth destruction upon us, and he would hide in his palace, while Raan'losti consumes all!" He roared, receiving several quiet cheers in reply to his declaration. His gaze softened slightly, as he gestured towards his friends, at the front and centre of the gathered crowd. "The Catalysts, know how to stop this." He said, looking at Taylor, as he bit his lip and swallowed heavily, forcing the niggling concerns and doubts from his heart. "We must protect them, as they carry out their sacred duty, for if we fail; all we hold dear, will cease to be."

The Elyyshar gazed around his people once more, seeming to drink in the face of every warrior before him. "I  _know,_  you may be scared." He called softly, as Vaanti shifted uncomfortably among the crowd. "I  _know,_  you may feel helpless..." He added, frowning suddenly as he looked at the ground. "It is troubling that this dark day, coincides with the light and joy of Niala'rei." He said, before his visage transformed into a fierce scowl, his eyes blazing with determination. "But have we not faced impossible odds before? Have we not defied our prophesied doom, at every turn?!"

Taylor felt the morale of the Vaanti surge, several of them cheering and raising whatever weapon they held as they muttered with their neighbour. "So I ask you, would you tremble in the face of the end?" Varyyn called, his gaze intense as he raised his fist in the air over his head. "Or like true Vaanti, would you rise above and  _fight?!"_  He demanded, as the crowd erupted into raucous applause and cheers of agreement.

"Fight!" Cried a Vaanti in a ram mask, whose twisted horns glittered at their sharp points.

"We will fight!" Called a green skinned female, her eyes glowing intently from beneath her elephant mask.

 _"Fiiiight!"_  Seraxa roared eagerly, drawing her obsidian dagger and thrusting it into the air with pride.

"That's my husband..." Diego sig-songed proudly, wiping his eyes as he gazed up at Varyyn adoringly, who beckoned for Taylor to join him on the platform.

Taylor hesitated, before climbing up, grasping his arm tightly in a show of strength and support. He took a deep breath, locking away all his doubts, as he turned to the crowd, balking when he found himself looking out across countless masked faces. "What have you to say before the battle, Taylor?" Varyyn asked, gesturing towards the sea of Vaanti before him.

"Me? Oh, I, uh..." He choked, his breath quickening as he stared down at the faceless Vaanti spread out across the valley. He was just about to back away, when his gaze settled on his friends, who were all watching him with such affection and belief; he felt flooded by love and hope himself. "Warriors of Elyys'tel..." He called, breaking out in a goofy grin as he winked at his pilot. "Less talking, more world saving." He said, grinning as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes at him. He looked back at the endless sea of Vaanti, and his expression slowly morphed into a similarly determined scowl as Varyyn's. "Let's make the man you call Hydra, answer for his crimes!"

"It's about time." Estela growled, her hands balling into fists eagerly, as she glared into the distance towards The Celestial.

"I know what you mean, Estela..." Quinn sighed, feigning a yawn as she nudged Jake playfully and winked at him. "I thought Taylor was never gonna get that out!" She giggled, as Jake snorted with laughter, which he quickly turned into a cough when Taylor scowled at them.

"Okay, you know what? You are just gettin' too sassy, Little Miss Cocky." He said sourly, as she only giggled harder.

"Oh trust me, I have nowhere near the uh, experience you do with co-" Quinn began, looking up at him with a cheeky smirk.

 _"Quinn!"_  Taylor yelped, his cheeks staining red as his friends began to laugh at his unexpected embarrassment.  _"Jake!"_  He demanded accusingly, scowling at his pilot. "You're supposed to defend my honour!"

"What?" Jake snorted, shaking his head as he looked up at Taylor in fond amusement. "She ain't wrong." He said, shrugging his shoulders as Taylor crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at him.

"That's it. We are never having sex again." He declared, only succeeding in making his friends laugh harder. "Hey, you can all shut up, okay?! I  _mean_  it this time!" He pouted petulantly, grimacing when even Jake snickered at his display. "Worst friends ever." He muttered to himself, sulking as even Varyyn chuckled beside him.

Taylor scowled, fully prepared to declare them all terrible people, when their banter was interrupted by Taari; as he squeezed through to the front of the crowd. "Cat-a-liss!" He called, the group sobering as they caught sight of the wide eyed child, as he stared at Taylor imploringly. "I wanna fight too!"

"Taari, I told you to join the children!" Seraxa scolded firmly, scowling fiercely and shoving warriors aside as she quickly strode over to the small boy.

"But I'm a Vaanti warrior!" Taari rebuffed, glaring at Seraxa determinedly. "My Elyyshar says, if we are not cowards, then we  _all_  have to fight! And I am  _not_  a coward!" He growled intently.

Seraxa sighed, her face falling as she dropped to her knees before him. "When the city was attacked, the Sea Guardian almost killed you!" She reminded him, her hands surprisingly gentle as she raised them to Taari's shoulders. "You're lucky, that Taylor was there to save you."

Taari grimaced at the reminder, looking up at Taylor pleadingly. "Cat-a-liss, I want to help." The boy said in a small voice, frowning as he gazed at Taylor. "What... can I do?" He asked uncertainly.

"Taari..." Taylor sighed, biting his lip as he glanced to Varyyn briefly, the Elyyshar waving for him to make the choice Taari begged him to.  _Well, it's not like it will make much of a difference anyway, if we end up losing... At least this way he can feel he helped_. He thought, a small smile curling his lips as he crouched at the edge of the platform and reached out to take Taari's hand. "Defend your people." He said, beaming down at the child, as Taari's face lit with hope. "While we fight the Hydra, hardly anyone will be guarding the city. Do you think...  _You_  could do that for me?"

"Of course!" Taari gushed, his excitement bubbling as he grinned up at Taylor joyfully. "I'll keep all my people safe!" He promised, all but bouncing in his eagerness.

"Should we really be encouraging a child to fight?" Grace whispered uncertainly, frowning at Taylor in disapproval.

"Hey, it's not like anyone's comin' to Elyys'tel." Craig shot back defensively, frowning at the dark skinned girl as he unknowingly echoed Taylors thoughts. "The little guy needs something to do."

"Go now, Taari." Seraxa urged, drawing him into a brief hug, before sending him back towards the city.

"I w-will." Taari said, pausing as he turned to look back at Seraxa. "Please come back safe, okay?" He asked quietly, his lip trembling, before he quickly sucked it between his teeth.

"And you do the same," Seraxa said, her gaze already tortured, knowing she may mot return. "My brave boy." She whispered, as she watched Taari turn and run off, before turning to address the crowd. "Warriors! We march!" She ordered, raising her dagger as her expression hardened. "For Elyys'tel... for the Vaanti... for Vaanu!"

As rallying cries filled the air, Seraxa led the Vaanti warriors into the rainforest, and after a brief pause as they waited for him to clamber from the platform, Taylor and his friends followed behind them. "You guys are still awful people, and I cant believe you all embarrassed me like that in front of all the Vaanti." Taylor muttered darkly, forcing himself to walk on the opposite side of the group as Jake in punishment for the pilots amusement at his discomfort.

"C'mon, Boy Scout, ya know we all love ya really." The pilot said, attempting to sneak closer, only for Taylor to sniff and purposely put more distance between them. "Me especially, 'cause obviously, I love you most." He added hopefully, a crooked grin gracing his lips, as Taylor snorted knowingly.

"You just don't wanna sleep on your own... whenever we get to sleep next." He scoffed, narrowing his eyes at Jake, as the pilot pouted at him. "Don't look at me like that, I gave you a chance to pick me over Quinn and you blew it,  _Jared Leto_." He said scathingly.

 _"Hey!"_  Jake snapped, scowling as he shoved straight through the group and quickly grabbed Taylor by the wrist. "I do  _not_  look like Jared Leto!" He insisted, as Taylor finally sniggered. Mike began to roar with laughter, as Jake narrowed his eyes in realisation. "Oh, you're paying for that one later." He promised darkly, as Taylor waggled his eyebrows eagerly, before allowing his pilot to land a rough kiss on his lips.

 _"Now_  we're even... But I'm still holding you to that promise, Top Gun." Taylor snickered, his lips tingling and feeling swollen, as Jake finally released him.

"You're  _so_  bad." Jake snorted fondly, shaking his head as Taylor laughed, his arm curling around Jake's waist as the pilot draped his own arm around Taylors shoulders; steering him ro catch up to the others, as they strolled through the rainforest, moving ever closer to The Celestial.

The further they marched, the tenser the air became around their group. Hands slipped into tight grips without a word of acknowledgement, while meaningful glances were exchanged nervously. Taylor walled with Jake at the back of the group, his heart aching with the desire to ease their nerves. He bit his lip, before he snorted suddenly and began to giggle quietly. Jake raised a brow at him, but he ignored his pilot as he began to hum a tune, before breaking into song. " _The ants go marching one by one... hurrah, hurrah_..." He sang, ignoring Jake's sigh of exasperation as his friends all noticeably relaxed. For the remainder of the journey, he kept up a seamless babble of random nursery rhymes, drawing laughter from his friends as they asked him to choose more and more obscure songs.

By the time they finally reached The Celestial, and Taylor finally ceased his amusing sing-along, dusk had settled around them. The vortex loomed high above, drawing the sky towards its spiralling center. Taylor swallowed heavily as he gazed up at it nervously, trying to push aside the encroaching hollowness which tried to consume him. He sucked in a deep breath and looked away, noticing that all along the hotels lower floors, thick metal shutters blocked every door and window. "That's... new." He said thickly, shaking his head slowly as he exhaled heavily.

"Nah, it isn't. Remember when we thought about putting the hotel on lockdown? When the Vaanti wanted to attack us?" Craig said, wincing when Varyyn flinched guiltily. "Sorry. My bad, bro." The jock coughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

 _"This,_  would be that lockdown." Zahra said, concluding Craig's explanation as the jock fell into an embarrassed silence.

"Owls!" Varyyn called, turning to the few Vaanti who had been scouting ahead of their arrival. "Report your findings!"

"The perimeter is guarded by less than ten men of the spider." The owls leader reported, his hand balled over his chest as he bowed to the Elyyshar. "But, we have no idea what awaits us inside." He admitted guiltily, as Taylor snorted.

"Sure we do." He said derisively, though he felt guilty to hear himself sound so waspish. "Rourke, Lundgren, and anyone in his squad still alive and able to hold a weapon." He sneered, scowling at the building, before blushing guiltily and looking to the floor as he cleared his throat. "But uh, who knows, maybe I'm wrong... Only one way to find out." He said, shrugging off his awkward sense of guilt, as he stepped out of the foliage toward The Celestial; only for Kele to yank him back suddenly. "Hey! What're you-"

 _"Shh!"_  Kele said quickly, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylors irritated frown with wide eyes. "You feel that?" He asked nervously. Taylor shook his head, only to pause suddenly, as he became aware of the steady thump of gargantuan footsteps sounding in the darkness, followed by the snapping of branches.

"Defensive positions!" Varyyn ordered sharply, glaring as he directed his warriors to take up positions around them. Taylor narrowed his gaze, and in the moonlight, he saw a towering white figure burst through the canopy.

 _ **"Raaauuugh!"**_  The Yeti roared, as the Vaanti quickly surrounded her, every spear and arrow poised to strike. Furball scampered up to her, and placed his front paws on a massive, white foot.  _"Mrrp!"_  He chirped cheerfully, clearly pleased to see the guardian.

"It's alright, bros!" Craig called to the Vaanti, beaming a wide grin as they glanced toward him incredulously. "This one's a friend." He said, as the Yeti crouched down and licked Furball's head, growling affectionately.

Vaanti warriors slowly lowered their weapons, uttering exclamatory oaths under their breath. "But, why is she here?" Taylor queried, talking over the Vaanti as he approached the Yeti slowly. "We're a little far away from her natural habitat..."

"Maybe, the vortex is messing with its climate?" Grace suggested, her eyes wide as she approached the beast and tentatively stroked her hand through its fur.

Locking its gaze with Taylor, the Yeti lowered her head respectfully, the gesture only succeeding in making him shiver with dread. "I believe the Mountain Guardian is here to help you!" Varyyn cried, his eyes wide as he gazed up at the magnificent beast. "This is very fortuitous!" The Elyyshar proclaimed, as Taylor turned away, trying to push aside his mounting discomfort.

"That's great and all," Jake drawled, moving closer to Taylor, and frowning at his obvious distress. "But, hows the Abominable Snow Woman gonna help?" He asked, gently taking Taylors hand in his own and lacing their fingers together.

Taylor swallowed heavily, looking up at a broken window, several stories above the blockade.  _One of the best... and worst nights of my life._  He thought, as he continued to gaze at his old suite, an idea striking him. "Guardian..." He asked, turning towards the Yeti with an awkward smile. "Maybe, you could take me up there? On your back?" He suggested, gesturing up to his window and hoping he made sense, lest he fave his friends ridicule for the rest of his life.

"You can't  _honestly_  expect-" Michelle began, her hands on her hips as she gazed over at him incredulously; only to fall into a stunned silence, as the Yeti flattened herself against the floor, offering Taylor her back.

 _"Haha!"_  Raj cheered, beaming a wide grin at the sight of the beasts submission. "Eat your heart out, King Kong!" He said, as Taylor coughed smugly and climbed aboard, quickly finding a grip on her fur.

"Here, I got some rope." Jake said, scrambling up behind him. "I can come and string down a line for people to climb up." He said, his cheeks flushing faintly.

"You know... I have my  _own_  rope?" Taylor hummed, grinning as Jake settled himself just beside Taylor, flashing him a cocky wink. "You just don't wanna let me go without you, do you?" Taylor snorted knowingly, as Jake shrugged unashamedly.

"Less chance of you doin' somethin' stupid, if I keep ya close." The pilot admitted, unrepentant as he met Taylors softening gaze.

"Okay, Top Gun..." He said, nodding his head lightly before glancing back at the others. "Diego, wanna ride?" He called, grinning as Diego lit up like a child who realised they'd just woken up on their birthday.

"Yes, yes and  _yeeees!"_  He squealed gleefully, kissing Varyyn briefly, before climbing up the Yeti's back to join the others. As soon as he was settled, the Yeti looked up at Taylor expectantly.

"Go that way!" Taylor encouraged, pointing towards the window again. Taylors eyes widened as the Yeti growled, his heart lurching nervously. "Uh oh..." He muttered, as suddenly, she broke into an all out sprint towards The Celestial.  _"W-whoa!"_  Taylor gasped, wobbling dangerously where he sat.

" _This. Is. Awesome_!" Diego cried as he beamed a huge grin at Taylor, laughing gleefully as they raced towards the building.

" **Intruders incoming**." An Arachnid soldier called, as he noticed the huge white beast approaching. " **Fire at will**!" He ordered, raising his weapon, as Taylor choked fearfully.

"Defend the Catalysts!" Seraxa roared, and Taylor glanced back to see the war chief thrusting her obsidian blade towards them.  _"For Elyys'tel!"_  She cried, flying forward ahead of her warriors, as two Arachnid operatives placed themselves between the Yeti and The Celestial.

Without breaking her sprint, the Yeti headbutted them with her great horns, sending the both of them flying.  _"Good_  Yeti." Taylor praised, snickering smugly as he patted her head, and all pit laughing when she seemed to purr in reply. As the Vaanti warriors engaged the remaining troops, the Yeti vaulted up The Celestial, finding handholds in the travertine façade. Taylor gasped as the wind whipped around him, feeling his grip weaken in the tumult. He grimaced determinedly, and recovered his grip, clutching at the Yeti's fur tightly.

"Nice save there." Jake sniggered, though his cerulean eyes were heavy with relief, as he beamed over at him.

"For all we know, Taylor could just be showing off at this point." Diego teased, his grin threatening to consume his face in his abundant joy. Taylor cleared his throat, pretending not to notice the heat burning his cheeks at their praise. As the Yeti reached the broken window of his suite, he hastily climbed off, turning to quickly offer his hands to his pilot and best friend. "We survived." Diego gasped as he clambered off the Yeti, his eyes wide as if he were truly surprised by the fact.

Bullets suddenly struck the Yeti, staining patches of her white fur red.  _"No!"_  Taylor cried, as she roared in pain, launching from the open window and swinging her way down to the snipers.

" **Great, you made it angry...** " Taylor heard one complain, as he leaned out his window to look after the Yeti. " **It's com** -"

"While we got the distraction, we should get everyone inside." Jake suggested, grimacing at the snipers as he tied his rope around the tree at the heart of Taylors room. "I'll start feeding the rope down." He said quietly, as Taylor nodded and reluctantly moved aside to let him toss his top out the window.

"I thought you were 'feeding it down'?" Taylor snorted, raising a brow at the pilot as Jake smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Job done." He said simply, snickering as Taylor rolled his eyes and swatted his shoulder affectionately. The pair moved aside, standing beside the window as a steady stream of Vaanti warriors climbed up into the suite, passing straight through the room and into the hall, as they crept away to survey the hotel. Taylor exhaled a shaky breath, as his friends began to appear at the top of the rope, slowly filing into the room.

Taylor fidgeted restlessly, his gut churning with conflicting emotions. He grimaced and moved away from his pilot, attempting to get his bearings in his suite. With a sigh, he moved towards his bed, stopping short when he noticed a familiar red spacesuit was carefully laid out.  _That can't be_... He thought, disbelief clouding him for a moment, before dread began to seep into his heart.  _But, it is._.. He shook his head, slowly forcing himself to take a step closer. "What the..." He whispered, as a slither of ice began to creep up his spine _. It can't be a coincidence... That bastard must have made it especially, and placed it here for me.._. He thought, glancing over at his friends, to see them all gathered by the broken window, helping each other clamber into the room.

"I wonder..." He whispered, turning back tot he suit with narrowed eyes.  _If it has the same time travel functionality that his had..? It must do_... He thought, a hopeful flame melting away the ice threading its way through his spine. "This could be my chance..." He murmured aloud, running a hand through his hair distractedly. "My  _last_  chance... to finally get some answers." He hummed, glancing back at the others briefly before walking over slowly. "Hey, you..." He said softly, taking Jake's hand and drawing him aside slightly.

"Hey." Jake hummed, snickering softly at the memory of the first night they'd shared together. The pilot gazed down at him adoringly, as Taylor bit his lip briefly, before slowly raising himself to press a gentle and loving kiss to his lips; hoping to convey his affection, and regret.  _"Hmm..."_  Jake hummed as he drew back, his clear eyes soft as he smirked down at Taylor. "What was-"

Taylor choked on a sob, as he spied a strand of time, and pulled it softly, freezing the room and everyone in it. His eyes stung, as Jake's soft gaze seemed to stare straight through him, his heart clenching painfully as he eased himself from the pilots light embrace. "I..." He whispered, glancing at the others, as he backed away towards the bed. "I'm  _sorry..._  But, I  _need_  to do this. And, I  _can't_  let you try to stop me." He said, swallowing his guilt as he turned and dropped his bag on his bed. He quickly stripped out of his clothes, taking a deep breath, before pulling on the spacesuit which The Endless had made and left for him. He glanced around, and found a helmet bedside the bed, atop a small notebook. He grabbed the helmet and lowered it over his head, gasping in awe when he latched it into place, and immediately found himself surrounded by the familiar glittering of time rifts.

"Okay... I can do this." He said, refusing to look at his pilot, lest he feel too guilty to go through with his intentions. "I got this, I got this... _I don't got this._.." He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as he bit his lip, before opening them determinedly. "No, I  _do._  I got this. I'm doing this. I'm...  _doing_  it." He said, clearing his throat as he remained firmly stood in the middle of the room. "Uh..." He hummed, uncertain how to direct himself through time. He tentatively reached for a rift, and peeled it open, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, before walking through.

He stepped out to a familiar scene, watching himself as he knelt before Fiddler, her katana drawing a red line across his shoulder as his friends held back Jake; whose distress was blatant, as he thrashed and screamed. Taylor frowned and shook his head, twisting aside to find another rift. He tugged it open and quickly stepped through, finding himself back at the  **MASADA**  complex, as Jake hung from Lundgren's raised hand, glaring fiercely as the man taunted him. Taylor swallowed thickly, his heart lurching painfully at the memory. He forced himself to turn away, choosing another rift nearby and walking through once more.

He blushed, feeling like a voyeur to his own experiences, as he stepped out into the Jewelled Cave, as he and Jake laid on the sand together; their bodies moving together in unhurried harmony. He flushed guiltily and looked away, his heart swelling at the memory, quickly finding himself another rift and dashing through.

He sighed in frustration, stepping out to see he and his friends reappearing with a bright flare of light, on The Celestial rooftop. He watched Lila step up behind them, as he fell to the floor and cried in denial of Diego's loss.

 _I need to get a damn handle on this whole time travelling thing._  He thought tiredly, raising a hand to run his hand through his hair, only to remember he was wearing The Endless's helmet. He felt a faint tug in his heart and he frowned, rubbing his chest lightly, as he slowly turned to face a small rift which seemed to pulse. His breath caught, as waves of ominous energy brushed against him. With a huff, he forced himself to walk closer, reaching for the rift and teasing it open. With a deep breath, he stepped inside.

 _This is..._  Taylor frowned, turning around slowly to see familiar faces, swamped with various levels of misery and grief. He walked slowly through the aisle, looking around his friends as they ignored the chirpy babbling of their tour guide Lila, each lost within their own troubles. He walked into the cockpit, where Jake was lounging in his chair, his foot tapping restlessly against his control panel.

Taylor frowned, reaching for the pilot, only to stop himself at the last moment. _I learnt the hard way, that to directly interact with the past, had severe consequences._.. He recalled The Endless explaining, as he had gestured to his mechanical hand. He shivered, drawing back reluctantly as Jake fidgeted and sighed, before finally closing his eyes.

 _What the hell_..? Taylor wondered, reluctantly moving out of the cockpit to look around the others.  _I know everyone had their issues when they came here, but-_  his thoughts cut off abruptly, his brow furrowing in confusion as he glided back up the aisle. "Diego..?" He whispered, frowning as he watched Diego roll his head across the back of the seat, looking out the window as he sighed heavily. Taylor felt his heart ache for his friend, the deep pain and loneliness consuming Diego, palpable in the air around him. "Wha-" he began, only to step back suddenly, his eyes widening as Diego's eyes closed, his brow resting against the window, as the empty seat beside him began to shimmer.

 _No-_  his denial was abruptly cut short, his heart lurching as he watched himself materialise beside his best friend. He choked, shaking his head in disbelief, as he watched Diego relax; his expression lightening as he opened his eyes and looked over at the seat beside him fondly, as if it had never been empty. Taylor shook his head vehemently, as if he could shake the looming realisation from his mind before it could strike him. He choked, reaching for a time rift and yanking open the first one he found; hurrying through and quickly removing his helmet, allowing him to retch and vomit into a small lava stream.

 _"Shit..."_  He choked, gasping for breath as he rubbed his hand over his eyes and tried to scrub the imminent understanding away before it could take hold in him. "It's gotta be... A glitch. A... A-a  _fake._  I... Oh god..." He wheezed, squeezing his eyes shut as grief attempted to constrict his heart. He hung his head, despair clawing its way through his gut as he wept and tried to deny what he'd seen with his own eyes.  _My own journey to self discovery was long, and difficult... Yours will happen much faster._  The Endless's words reverberated through his mind, and Taylor felt a blaze of hatred for the older version of himself, knowing the old man had no doubt seen exactly what he just had, and had simply refused to tell him.  _It's important, however, that you develop that understanding; on your own... In the end, it's up to **you,**  to decide who you  **truly**  are_. He scoffed, his eyes heavy with tears as he scowled at the ground, his heart numb as he stared at his gloved hands vacantly.

 _What exactly is up to me now? I'm... And everyone is planning to go into battle. To face Rourke... and they-_  he paused, his heart hardening as his hollow stomach turned to ice. He raised his eyes to his discarded helmet, a determined scowl forming as he reached forward and picked it up slowly. He swallowed heavily, before he shoved it back over his head. "I  _am_  gonna know the damn truth; the whole damn truth... and then,  _I'm_  gonna decide what to do." He muttered, clenching his hand and drawing in a determined deep breath. He looked around, and found a time rift which seemed to glitter enticingly, and with a grimace, Taylor reached out to it. The rift leapt open eagerly, and Taylor hesitated briefly, trying to bury the grief in his heart. "Jake..." He whispered, clutching tightly to his affection for the pilot, only to be swamped by despair; as he realised the repercussions on his handfasting, should the pilot ever discover his apparent origins. He hung his head, swallowing against the bitter taste of bile in the back of his throat. "I can  _do_  this..." He whispered, pushing aside everything that wasn't his determination to save his friends. "I  _have_  to do this..." He whispered brokenly, sucking in a deep breath, and striding through the time rift determinedly.

Taylor was swept away by emotions un-numbered, his heart breaking in countless ways as he watched their journey unfold before his eyes, the struggles they'd faced together, and the hardships they'd overcome. He passed through their history on the island, following himself to his first meeting with The Endless, at which point; he discovered an anomaly.

A time rift, which folded in on itself, as if trying to make itself as small an unnoticeable as it could. Taylor frowned, ignoring his interactions with The Endless and focusing on the rift, which seemed to shudder and squirm in distress. He grimaced, reaching for the rift insistently and trying to encourage it to open. Despite the rifts attempts to resist, he eventually cracked it enough that he could step through; though by the time he'd seen what was within, he dearly wished he hadn't.

It was with his heart in tatters, that Taylor returned to his suite at The Celestial, stepping out to see his own red suited back disappear into a time rift. He swallowed thickly, looking towards his friends with his heart aching for the comfort he knew they would offer, should they see him in such a state. But they can't. He thought tiredly, sitting at the edge of his bed and removing his helmet so he could finally scrub a hand through his hair. "Well, thank you, Endless." He snorted scathingly, shaking his head as he sighed heavily. "I guess it isn't what you expected me to use it for, but uh... your gift of magical time pajamas was..." He choked, his aching heart clenching as he glanced at Jake, still frozen along with his friends. He gripped the edge of the bed and hiccupped a dry sob, longing flooding through him. "Pretty useful."

 _What can I do..?_  He thought, shaking his head as he looked around the room with a sigh.  _How can I-_  he paused, his gaze landing on the small notebook which had been beneath his helmet. He frowned, reaching over to pick it up tentatively and lightly drum his fingers atop the cover. He swallowed thickly, opening the cover to a crisp blank page, with a pen clipped almost purposely to the top. He huffed an unamused chuckle, removing the pen and lazily doodling a vague representation of the flower still perched behind his ear. With a sniff, he glanced up at Jake, his heart aching sharply as his throat tingled and tightened _. I can't let you.._. He thought, looking around the rest of his friends as his eyes stung and his vision blurred.  _Any of you... give up anything else._  He thought, choking as he dragged in a deep breath and liked back to the notebook.

_**Dear Jake...** _

He paused, exhaling sharply at the two words on the page before him, his heart clenching; screaming for him to stop, to get up and join his friends, to savour their final moments together. His mind however, viciously caged his heart away in a dark pit, forcing him to remember by vividly recounting everything he'd seen; his friends struggles, and losses, should he give in and allow them to continue. With a trembling hand, he lowered the pen to the page once more, slowly forcing the words out.

_I... I know you'll hate me for this. Hell, **I**  hate me for this. I hate me for a lot of reasons... But, this is, right up the top. I want you to know that I love you... More, than you could possibly ever know, certainly more than I could have ever shown you, had I been able to-_

_This... isn't an easy decision to make. I want nothing more than to run away with you right now and never look back. But, you've finally stopped running, and I can't ask you to go backwards. I know what to do now, and how... and then, you'll have your family back, as well as Mike. I can be happy, I think, knowing that._

_I know what you're going to try to do... By the time you get to here, you're gonna have the rest of these pages ready to turn; prepared to skip to the end and skip all 'Taylors bullshit, idiot jabbering'... But I need you to read this carefully. Jake... you can't come after me. If you do; Mike **will**  die._

Taylor choked, brushing aside the tears on his cheeks as he sucked in a deep breath, attempting to stave off his grief, as the words finally poured from him. He hiccupped, scrubbing the back of his hand over his eyes as he growled in determination, setting his pen back to the paper as he glared at the page intently.

 _I know you both say there's nothing between you, and believe me; the whole marriage thing went a long way towards curing the whole jealousy thing... But, even so, I can't watch what losing him will do to you again. I can't stand to see you, to see any of you, lose anything else... because of me. I should probably just get on with it, instead of sitting here being a sap, torturing myself with some sort of dramatic farewell... It's actually, kind of pointless anyway, really. But, I guess I just wanted to explain myself. To make you understand that, this isn't just me running off to beat you this time. I'm not just, jumping in without a plan. And I guess, I want to explain just how much you, my time with you, have come to mean to me_...

Taylor poured everything he could into the notebook, occasionally pausing to nap when he was too emotionally drained to continue. He wrote of everything he had seen, everything he had felt, and hoped the pilot would understand how deeply he'd been affected by them all. After what could have been hours, or even days of un-passing time, he took a deep breath and turned to the final page.

_**Dear Jake;** _

_I hope that all of this has helped you understand, and that you realise I'm not doing this because I don't care about you all; but only because I love you so much, I can't bear to see you all go through what will happen next... And, maybe a small part of me, simply doesn't want you to be there to see._

_My hands are shaking now... I think it's time._

_I know you won't remember... after... But until the end, I hope you remember everything we shared with warmth and love in your heart. I hope, I haven't ruined that... but, I understand, if you can't. I'm not sure what will happen, but I hope that afterwards you all stay friends... That you find yourselves whole and with love and hope in your hearts. I hope, that you all lead the amazing lives, I know you were destined to... And I will treasure the memory of you all as my friends, as my **husband...**  For however long, I exist. It was you,  **all of you,**  who taught me what love is. You taught me... everything I know, I guess, in a way. I love you._

_Know that I am yours, endlessly. Because, in the end... only love survives. -Taylor x_

Taylor slammed the notebook shut quickly, refusing to let his tears stain the page any further and make it illegible. He gasped, his long numbed heart pulsing weakly with pain and longing. His body felt weighed down by rocks, as he forced himself to his feet, collecting his helmet and locking it into place over his head. He walked to his bag, rummaging within for the small box with his ring, drawing out the golden band and clutching it tightly in his hand. He drew in several deep breaths, blowing them out through pursed lips, before crossing the room to his friends.

He gazed up at his pilot, his heart yearning to remain by his side, while his mind reminded him he could not. He carefully removed the pilots tags, settling his own ring over the chain alongside Jake's, before re-latching it behind his neck, gently laying his hand over them as they settled against the pilots chest. "I love you..." He murmured brokenly, drawing in a deep breath and pressing the notebook into Jake's hand, curling his fingers around it tightly. "... I'm sorry." He whispered, drinking in the soft expression of his pilot, before moving back across the room. His fingers twitched nervously at his side, his heart racing despite his emotional exhaustion, as he tentatively reached out and released the strand of time from his hold.

"... that fo- what the bloody hell?  _Taylor?!"_  Jake's cry drew everyone's attention, and they crowded around him as his eyes widened and he looked around in panic and confusion, before turning his gaze down in surprise, at the notebook in his hand.

"Elyyshar!" Called a green skinned female Vaanti, as she raced into the room towards Varyyn. "All paths to the roof hare blocked or destroyed!"

"There remains one staircase," a blur skinned male added, racing in behind her. "But it lies behind a barricade in a chamber like a great cavern..."

"We were discovered scouting the passages that bypass the barricade..." The green skinned female, hanging her head regretfully. "There will likely be traps along that path now."

 _Guess I'm going through the Atrium then_... Taylor thought despondently, watching his friends crowd around his pilot worriedly.  _Unless I decide to just wipe out Arachnid for fun..._  He thought, considering the possibility distractedly, as his tired gaze remained on his friends.

"What is it?" Diego asked, peering over the pilots arm with a concerned frown.

"Where'd he go?! He was just there!" Raj cried, shaking his head in disbelief as he gestured towards the empty air where they'd last seen Taylor. "Tell me he's playing with that crazy chicks suit again!"

Taylor felt the guilt eat at what remained of his tattered heart, his friends concern palpable, as Jake clutched the notebook tightly and scowled around them. "He left it in Treesville." He bit out, gritting his teeth briefly as he glanced back at the others. "Naw, this has Taylor being an idiot stamped all over it... Taylor! Where are you?! Get your  _goddamn_  ass out here or I swear to-" Jake fell silent, as Mike tapped his shoulder sharply, and gestured towards where Taylor stood; watching them silently, as his heart crumbled to ash. "Where is he?" Jake demanded knowingly, about to step forward when Quinn and Diego grabbed at his arms in concern. "What the hell did you  _do?!_  Give him back!" The pilot snarled, as Mike added his weight to restraining Jake, keeping the group together.

Taylor swallowed heavily, shaking his head slowly as he tried to speak, though it took several attempts to finally force the words through his constricted throat. "Taylor is gone." He said quietly, wincing within the safety of his helmet, as Jake roared in denial. "His role is explained in detail, in that book."

"How can you even  _be_  here?!" Grace gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at him in disbelief, Aleister's arm drawing her behind him protectively. "We saw you-"

"An inconvenience, yes." Taylor said quickly, taking a few tentative steps closer, as Jake looked at the notebook in his hand. "But Rourke's machine holds no power over me..." He said, stopping once he was a few steps away from his friends.

"Where is Taylor?!" Quinn demanded, her crystalline eyes glaring at Taylor distrustfully, mistaking him for The Endless along with the others. "He's our  _friend,_  and we're going to help him!" She said fiercely, scowling as she poked her tongue out childishly.

"Taylor... walks a path you cannot." He said thickly, shaking his head slowly, as he reached out towards them. "Your safety, helps him far more than anything else. It may be selfish of me to ask..." He added, grasping a time rift beneath their feet. He paused, looking around them all fondly, as tears they could not see slid down his face. "... But please, forgive him." He said quietly, his eyes locking onto Jake as the pilot snarled and lunged for him.

 _"W-whoa-!"_  Jake choked, as Taylor opened the rift beneath them, causing the pilot to lose his balance.

"What the-" Michelle gasped, grabbing onto Sean and Estela, as they fell into the rift, her indignant cry when she landed in another location rising up to Taylor.

 _"Varyyn!"_  Diego cried, reaching for his Elyyshar as Taylor stepped up the edge of the rift, watching his friends scramble across the ground to find and check each other over.

 _"Elyys'tel!"_  The Elyyshar choked, gazing into the distance behind them. "The Endless has returned us to Elyys'tel!"

"Hey! Red Rocket!" Jake snarled, pointing up at Taylor with a hateful grimace. "You just made a  _huge_  mistake! When I get back to that hotel, I'm gonna find ya, and I'm gonna kick your ass all the way back to ya own damn time!  _Ya hear me_?!" He growled, prowling across the ground as Taylor watched with his heart in tatters, reminded of the future he'd seen where Jake had been imprisoned. "I don't care  _how_  damn old ya are! I'm gonna-!"

"Jake..." Taylor said quietly, shaking his head slowly as he looked down at his loved ones. "By the time you're halfway across the forest, it'll already be over. Remain in Elyys'tel, remain safe... Read Taylors message..." He said, as Jake roared in rage.

 _"Mike!"_  He roared, his friend hurrying to his side as Jake scowled and gestured towards the rift above them. "Get me up there you bastard-"

"I'm  _sorry,_  Jake..." Taylor said, his vision blurring as he watched Mike ignite his jetpack, Jake's arm thrown over his shoulder. He choked on a sob as he tugged at the rift, Jake's howl of denial the last thing he heard, before the rift closed; separating them for the final time. For a moment, the world seemed to pause; and then it crumbled around him, as Taylor choked and sobbed, and slowly backed away. He scrabbled to free his helmet, unable to breath within the confines of the heavy metal and glass. " _Oh god_ -" he choked, gasping for breath as he threw his helmet as far across his suite as he could manage, the broken shards of his heart falling in an aching pit of despair in his chest. He stumbled back, leaning heavily against the tree in the center of his suite, panting as he allowed himself a moment to vent his grief. Taylor finally released his tight hold on his emotions, allowing them to consume him and rip through him unchallenged. He sobbed, his gut churning in anguish as he covered his face with his hands and imagined Jake's fury, as he read through his notebook.

 _I can't keep wasting time anymore_... He finally thought sometime later, when his tears had dried and a stale sense of melancholy had smothered itself around him.  _I'm only delaying the inevitable, and the longer I procrastinate, the more chance Jake and the others have of outsmarting me._  He thought, sighing as he pushed himself away from the tree and ambled across the room to his helmet dejectedly. He scrubbed his arm over his heavy eyes a final time, before pulling on his helmet, exhaling sharply as he turned to the doorway.

 _So, climb the barricade? Or back passages_? He wondered, as he slowly walked out into the hallway.  _Or, shall I clear out the hotel, and teach Arachnid a lesson? Though... I guess its kinda pointless_. He sighed, turning to head up down to the eighth floor and take the back passages, deciding he was in no fit state or mood to be facing what would undoubtedly be a direct assault. A tiny twitch curled his lips briefly, as he absently thought of Zahra, Craig, Quinn and Diego sniggering at the idea of back passages.

His heart lurched suddenly, as he found himself outside a familiar cowboy themed bar. His eyes stung a new, though he had no tears left to cry, as he gazed over at the bar longingly; recalling the first time he'd been there, and the mumbled agreement that marked the beginning of his relationship with the pilot. He looked around, noticing that despite the bars lively decor, it was eerily quiet and still.  _Guess this was a trap designed specifically for Jake..._ He thought dryly, shaking his head slowly as he scanned the room carefully. He looked down, noticing something glinting on the floor, though he couldn't decipher what it was. He rolled his eyes and moved to press himself against the wall, only to find his reflection pressing back.  _Mirrored walls, huh_? He thought, snorting derisively.  _Aleister would be so very disappointed in you Rourke... Michelle would have been utterly unsurprised by something so tacky though_. He thought emptily, wishing he could have his friends around him, but knowing they were better off as far away from him as possible.

He snorted, shoving aside his wistful thoughts and desires as he began to stalk around the room, to the exit on the far side of the bar. He paused, half turning as he debated setting off whatever trap had been left, before shrugging his shoulders and continuing on his journey; too past caring to even take any joy from breaking Rourke's things _. What's the point?_  He huffed, striding down the hallway and entering the library. As soon as he took a step within the towering room, the doors swung closed with a distinct click.

 _Just as well I don't need to go back that way I guess_... He thought dryly, snorting as he shook his head. He hummed to himself quietly, as his nerves began to fester in his hollowed gut, his heart trying to race nervously; despite its broken down state. As he took a deep breath, he began to slowly make his way through the great library, towards the staircase at the opposite end of the room.  _Next stop, the Atrium. He thought tiredly, flinching as the memory of broken screams filled his ears_. As he lumbered up the stairs in his heavy suit, Taylor felt himself lose his footing, as a pressure plate depressed beneath him. "Oh man, I thought only Craig and Raj had such bad luck..." He sighed, as a distinct beeping sounded through the room.

Taylor looked up, tensing as he noticed something attached to the door at the top of the stairs. He leaned closer to examine the explosives, before sighing far more dramatically. "Oh god, where the hell is Grace when you need-  _oh..."_  He cursed himself an idiot, gripping the rail as his eyes stung freshly. He shook his head, chuckling un-amusedly as he forced himself to continue up the stairs.  _I can just imagine how horrified she would be... All the books and artefacts Rourkey Porkey has in here.._. He thought despondently, examining the military grade explosives carefully, to see the timer strike thirty seconds. "Well, shit..." He muttered, scowling as he shook his head.

"Thirty seconds not to die..." He sighed, his lips twitching, sensing Jake in his comment. He tried the door, despite already knowing full well it wouldn't be opening while explosives were strapped to it.  _But hey, you never know with Lundgren and Rourke... For smart men, they do some seriously stupid shit_. He thought, glancing around to see a crevice in the lower library he could probably hide in.  _I could just bypass all of this and open a rift... But I don't wanna tire myself out incase I need to use one on Rourke_. He thought, recalling with a stab of guilt, the way he'd been unable to save Uqzhaal. "But I'll put it right..." He mumbled vehemently, scowling as his hand clenched tightly. He gazed around the upper deck, noticing a pack of C-four, secured against each bookcase.

"Diego would be both amused and terrified at all of this... He'd already be babbling." He thought aloud, before glancing back at the timer in front of him with a frown. "But Zahra wouldn't... She'd find a failsafe, something-" he trailed off, his eyes lighting on a keypad, hooked to the pack on the door before him. He plucked a sticky note from the device, glancing at the time to see it had decreased to fifteen seconds.  _A password hint? Really_?! Taylor snorted, shaking his head at whatever idiot had placed the bomb. " _I am a remedy without a cure, I am everywhere and nowhere_." He quickly read aloud, huffing as he imagined Aleister thoughtfully pulling the riddle to pieces. He snorted, as he imagined Estela's impatience and he sighed as the timer dropped down to its final ten second countdown.

He typed his single word answer into the keypad, sighing as the LED readout blinked itself down to eight seconds, before freezing in place.  _Death, the ultimate end to all life._  He thought tiredly, huffing a derisive snort as he swallowed thickly and fought back against the stinging in his eyes.  _But not for me_. He amended, as the beeping stopped. "Well, at least it didn't involve cutting coloured wires in the right order or something..." He snorted blandly, as he detached the pack in front of him carefully, and opened the door. "Then I would have really panicked... Might even have used a rift after all." He muttered to himself, trying to keep his nerves from overwhelming him. He closed his eyes and imagined his friends gathering their own strength, charging forward as Sean led them on with something inspirational; although he knew Jake would only scoff at whatever the athlete said. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, slipping through the door into an alcove at the back of the Atrium. He was about to toss aside the bomb from the door, when he reconsidered, instead strapping it through a loop on the back left side of his spacesuit.

Through a distant archway, he could see a makeshift barricade, guarded by a squadron of soldiers. He strode forward slowly, glancing around as he slipped into a hiding place long enough to scope out where the Arachnid troops had positioned themselves.  _Three soldiers nine o'clock_... He thought, grimacing as he imagined Mike smirking at him proudly. He shook his head, trying to push the soldier form his mind _. I'm saving his stupid life, I can damn well hate him all I want now_. He thought petulantly, scowling as he unintentionally imagined the military men of their group; Jake, Mike and Kele slinking up to the soldiers and taking then out as one. "Hm. I'll show  _you,_  Top Gun." He muttered grimly, opening a rift beneath the three soldiers and closing it over their disappearing heads, before they could even make a sound. "Heh. Taylor one, stupid Mike nil." He mumbled, almost cheering himself, until he caught sight of something which caused hate, anger and disgust to flare in his dismembered heart.

He watched with narrowed eyes, as a man wearing an exoskeleton strode onto the Atrium, silhouetted by a beam of moonlight. Taylor growled quietly, as he caught a whiff of cigar smoke. "Well, well." Lundgren sneered, his gaze locked onto where Taylor was hidden in the shadows. "Look who came to join the party." He said, getting a huge gun onto his shoulder. "You gonna keep hidin', or are you snivelling brats gonna-"

"Trust me, Lundgren." Taylor sneered, stepping out from the shadows slowly. "I have nothing and no reason to hide from the likes of you." He snorted, fanning the hatred claiming the broken pieced of his heart.

"Well, you ain't what I was expecting," Lundgren hummed thoughtfully, grinning as he bit the end of his cigar lightly. "But you'll do." He sneered, deploying a missile at the archway leading to the lobby.

Taylor cocked his head curiously, as an enormous explosion obscured the barricade for a moment. When the dust cleared, he saw the barricade had been totally overwhelmed by rubble, leaving him completely blocked in. He watched in almost amusement, as a handful of Arachnid operatives coursed into the room behind Lundgren, fanning out around their commander. "Why, Lundgren, I had no idea you wanted me to stay so badly." Taylor said lightly, almost chuckling, as he counted up the last of Lundgren's men. "Must be a real  _drag,_  knowing you don't have grim old Fiddler to call on for backup..."

Lundgren's lip curled into a hateful sneer, his eyes flashing maliciously. "And how'd you know about  _that_  exactly, you meddling old bastard?" The corrupt soldier demanded, as Taylor snorted and took three slow steps forward, and raised his hands to his helmet.

"Why Lundgren, there's really no need for name calling... But to answer your question, well," he drawled, removing his helmet to smirk at the shocked soldier in hateful glee. "That'd be 'cause  _I_  killed her." He finally admitted, as Lundgren snarled at him, gesturing for his troops to surround Taylor.

"I'm gonna give you 'til the count of three, to tell me where Wolf and Mouse are... And to apologise." Lundgren said slowly, taking a single step forward. "Or, I'm gonna have my men fill you so fulla holes, Wolf won't even recognise your pretty little ass."

"They're long gone, Lundgren." Taylor said confidently, smirking as Lundgren's confidence faltered briefly. "You got nothin' to bargain with, Sparky." He added lightly, ignoring the tightness of his throat.

"You're a mouthy little shit..." Lundgren growled, his eyes glinting with irritation and hatred. "I shoulda just killed you when I first had the chance... Lucky for me, I'm all set to rectify that mistake."

 _"Pfft,_  please," Taylor snorted derisively, looking around the handful of soldiers surrounding him. "Lower your weapons... This ain't a fight you're gonna win, fellas." He warned, as he slowly set his helmet back over his head and latched it into place.

 _"Hah!"_  Lundgren growled, a malicious grin curling his lip as he took several steps back, removing himself from his men's line of fire. "You just keep tellin' yourself that." He said, throwing down his missile launcher and picking up a machine gun, as his soldiers raised their weapons towards Taylor.

"You do realise the world's gone?" Taylor said, cocking his helmeted head as he frowned in confusion behind his visor. "Don't you care?"

"Does it  _look_  like I care?" Lundgren sneered, taking a deep drag on his cigar as his expression morphed into a scowl. "The world and its weak, snivelling masses can stay burned down. Soon, it'll be time to make a new world."

"Good luck with that, General Gruesome, 'cause you can't create shit without the final piece of the Heart." Taylor snorted, taking a step forward as he sighed, only pausing when the weapons aimed toward him all clicked tellingly. "Well, I made the effort. It's not my fault if you lack any moral sensibility to appeal to." He said, watching as the Arachnid troops closed in on him, while Lundgren took slow, intimidating steps behind them.

"Too bad you wouldn't behave, you'dve made a damn fine pet..." Lundgren hummed, clicking his tongue as he sighed in feigned regret. "Still, just means you wont be around long enough to see me kill Rourke and take his power for myself-"

"Talk, talk, talk..." Taylor sighed, shaking his head as the soldiers around him raised their batons to attack. "I can't decide if you taught Jake to love the sound of his own voice so much, or if he just rubbed off on you..." He said thoughtfully, as he slowly looked around the weapons raised to strike him. He spun suddenly, catching an Arachnid soldier by the wrist before he could land a sneak attack blow, and punching him low in the gut; as he yanked at a strand of time and froze the scene around him, just as three of the other soldiers fired; bullets erupting from their guns, only to sit motionless in midair.

"Hmm..." He thought aloud, his eyes narrowing as he stepped closer to the hovering bullets. He glanced at the soldiers, before tentatively reaching out to tap the nearest bullet. "Huh, well lookit that..." He hummed, as the bullet move easily beneath his direction. He tipped one to a slightly higher angle, directing it to another soldiers vulnerable neck, before repeating the process with the other two. Finally he stepped around them, putting some distance between himself and Lundgren as the onset of fatigue began to tickle in the back of his mind. He grimaced and released the strand, closing his eyes briefly and wincing as his adjustments held true; the three unlucky aokdiers falling to the ground.

"What the-?" Lundgren demanded, scowling as he looked around and found Taylor on the opposite side of his men, waving at him coyly.

"I could do this  _all_  night." He blagged lightly, as the commander leaned towards him menacingly from across the Atrium.

"Party's over." He sneered hatefully, scowling as a panel on his exosuits shoulder opened. "Time to  _die."_  He said, as a barrage of heat seeking missiles launched towards Taylor.

"Uh..." He balked,his eyes widening as he considered momentarily, before spritong headlong toward a doorway, the missiles narrowly rapidly closing the gap _. I need to save what energy I can; but if I really gotta, then I can make at least one more rift or pause.._. He thought, as he slammed the door shut, causing the projectiles to swerve in random directions. Taylor listened as a series of devastating blasts tore the Atrium apart, as he caught his breath behind the door.

When the worst of the explosions and noise had died down, Taylor hesitantly opened the door and walked back into the Atrium, looking around in disbelief as smoke and dust stonework, billowed across the room. He walked slowly through the haze, his gaze sharp as he looked around carefully. "Think a little smoke screens gonna help you now?!" Lundgren roared, stepping around from his own hiding place with his exoskeleton already revealing more missiles.

"Well holy hell, you're harder to kill than a skag..." Taylor said, shaking his head as he stared over at Lundgren with a hateful glare which remained hidden behind his helmet. "Lets see how cocky you are, once I take your toys away though..." He sneered confidently, racing forward through the dust, as Lundgren lumbered towards the opening in the wall, readying a laser cannon. He grabbed the soldiers exoskeleton, smashing his armoured elbow into the cannon joint and causing it to crack loudly. He repeated the motion, finally managing to tear the cannon free with a great heave afterwards.

"You're gonna  _regret_  that..." Lundgren promised swinging his steel clad arms wide and throwing Taylor backward into the rubble. The soldier growled, aiming his last missile at Taylor, as he bit his lip nervously and stared up at the furious man. "You know, I'm  _almost_  tempted to make you pay for everything you've done by forcing you into a lifetime of grovelling on your knees..." The soldier sneered, as Taylor glanced around desperately, his heart hammering as he spied a small strand of time behind Lundgren's missile launcher. "But I think I'm actually gonna enjoy watching you become a stain on this rubble even more."

"Heh, you keep dreaming, Chuckles." Taylor said, twisting the strand briefly and launching himself forward. He saw Lundgren's eyes widen in slow motion, his launcher firing as Taylor collided with it, forcing it upward at the last moment. The missile streaked toward the ceiling, as Taylor ducked around Lundgren and tore the explosives from his back, quickly looping the strap around the soldiers broken cannon mount.

Time snapped back into place as Lundgren struck a blow against Taylors back, sending him sprawling across the room as the missile exploded above them, sending chunks of concrete raining down over the room. Taylor gasped, scrabbling to his feet and darting behind a fallen marble boulder for cover, as the barrage of stonework came thundering down.

 _"Aaahhhhhh!"_  Lundgren roared furiously, and Taylor peeked around his hiding place to see the air become a thick haze, as the rubble covered Lundgren.

As the barrage of debris eased, he crept from his hiding place, cautiously making hisbwya through the smoke.  _This was the moment..._  He thought, coming to an abrubt halt, as the events he'd seen as he travelled through time, flickered and overlapped the present. He watched absently as Jake ran to a doubled over Mike, his concern for his friend obvious; as Mike admitted there was little of him left unbroken.

Taylor shook his head vehemently, pushing the memories away as the rubble began to shift. He glanced around urgently, picking up Lundgren's abandoned machine gun and aimed it; taking several steps backwards in preparation, as he narrowed his eyes. "Come on then, you bastard." He muttered darkly, his heart in turmoil as he recalled the way his pilot had crumpled, devasated by the loss of his friend for the second time in his life. "But not this time..." Taylor whispered to himself, as Lundgren rose slowly from the rubble, blood pouring down the side of his face.

"You done yet?!" He demanded between heavy pants, scowling as he blinked and looked around for Taylor. "I could do this all night!" He called, shaking his head a she stumbled sideways a step. " _C'mon, hit me_!" He roared, as Taylors finger inched over the trigger of the machine gun, though he hesitated to fire.

"When I take the power to control time from Rourke, you know the  _first_  thing I'm doing?" Lundgren demanded, stumbling forward as he tried to clear his eyes of his blood, spitting out his old cigar and putting s new one in his mouth; before lighting it with a match. "I'm gonna hunt each and every one of your little friends families down, and make sure none of them are  _ever_  born! Starting... With  _yours."_  He sneered, as what remained of Taylors heart hardened, the soldiers threats finally pushing him past the point of hesitation.

"Hey, assbutt..." He called, ignoring the sting in his heart at the reminder of his best friend. He smirked as Lundgren spun towards him, though the expression remained hidden behind his visor. The soldier sneered at him, about to speak when Taylor began to laugh. "I don't have a family." He said simply, before pulling the trigger and sending a stream of bullets toward the explosives he'd strapped to Lundgren's shoulder. He ducked back behind his cover, as Lindgren glanced up to see where he'd aimed, his eyes widening briefly in disbelief, before the bomb detonated; sending bits of Lundgren spraying in all directions.

Taylor stepped around his cover, looking around the smoke hazed room at the widespread stain of red. "Gross." He said, shaking his head as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. He swallowed heavily, his eyes falling on the spot where he and his friends had held Jake, fighting his furious struggles to get to Mike. "I got him, Jake... It might not be for long, but this time, I got him... And you'll be able to keep Mike." Taylor felt the wetness on his cheeks, but he made no move to remove his helmet and clear them away, staring at the spot where Jake had finally slumped helplessly, the fight in him lost.

Taylor forced himself to raise his eyes, drawing in a deep, shaky breath, as he slowly walked past the traumatic spot; leaving the final piece of his aching heart behind, with the memory of his broken pilot. "You're turn, Rourke." He murmured quietly, utterly detached from his environment as he slowly strode towards the staircase at the opposite side of the Atrium. He hummed thoughtlessly to himself, a weariness making his legs drag with each heavy step he forced himself to take. " _I'm bullet proof... Nothing to lose... Fire away, fire away_..." He murmured tunelessly, slowly proceeding up the staircase towards Rourke; the final obstacle between himself, and his fate.

Taylor paused at the final step, closing his eyes as he thought of his friends for a final time. He imagined their courage, their faith and belief, the strength each of them carried in their hearts. "In all the world, there was no better family, than the one you gave to me.  _Thank_  you..." He murmured quietly, opening the door and slowly stepping forward. Howling wind tore at gus hair and clothes, as he emerged on the rooftop, the vortex seeming to have overtaken the entire sky. Stars and clouds spun helplessly towards its baleful eye, where they were swallowed into oblivion forever.

Taylor turned, noticing the pillar of crystal from beneath Mount Atropo nearby, shining brightly in the Omega Mechs grasp. Taylor walked forward slowly, his chest aching at the visual display of the world ending. He drew in a deep breath, momentarily uncertain of his decision, before he forced himself to push aside all fears and doubts _. Too late now, anyway._  He thought tiredly just as he caught sight of Rourke standing off to the side.

"Well, you're certainly not who I was expecting." The suited man said, his eyes wide as he held a martini glass halfway to his lips. "How the devil did you... Ah, well, I suppose of all people, you would be the one to manage to escape." He said, his cocky grin returning, as he glanced towards the vortex. "As you no doubt already know, space-time is more fragile than it looks. Crate a large enough hole..." He said smugly, gesturing with his drink briefly, before sipping it lightly. "And the whole thing, comes crashing down."

Rourke set down his empty glass, and pulled out a weathered polaroid photo, unknowingly driving Taylor to grind his teeth hatefully. "Tell me... Do you believe in destiny?" He asked, smirking over at Taylor curiously.

"There's only one thing I really believe in anymore Rourke," Taylor said tiredly, sighing as he walked across the rooftop slowly. "And that's throwing you off this roof, before I undo all the shit you've done."

"Come, come now 'Endless', we have no need for such hostilities here." Rourke tutted in disapproval, shaking his head as he stepped backwards. "After all, consider the fact I've never acted to harm you, or those you once called friends..."

"Oh right, that was someone  _else_  ordered his assassin to kill everyone!" Taylor snorted, feigning a gasp of horror. "My goodness Rourke, you've been misunderstood all along!" He sneered, stalking closer to the man.

"All along, I've merely tried to help Taylor learn!" Rourke insisted, his eyes darting towards the crystal pillar as he stepped back to the bar where he'd set his empty martini glass. "About how to wield the power I thought he was about to hold."

" _Lying snake_!" Taylor choked, spinning around with his wide eyes hidden by the visor, as he saw Estela racing toward them across the rooftop; her face a mask of fury as she raised her trembling fists, her hate filled eyes locked onto Rourke.

 _"Wha-?!"_  Taylor choked, shaking his head in disbelief as he sqe his friends racing after Estela through a shimmering time rift.  _"No!"_  He cried, his heart lurching on fear as he raised his arms and tried to divert Estela away. "Estela,  _don't-!"_

"Ah, perfect timing." Rourke hummed approvingly, his expression turning smug and gleeful. "Iris, Directive eight oh nine one, if you please." Rourke commanded, as Taylor howled on denial and fumbled, as he tried to raise Lundgren's machine gun.

Iris's hologram flickered into being above the mech, her emotionless gaze staring straight through them all. "Activating Omega Pilot Protocol." She said, and instantly, the gargantuan robot lunged down and grabbed Estela woth its free hand, just as she was in mid launch towards Rourke.

 _"Raaargh!_  Let me...  _go!"_  She growled, scowling as she fought against the grip around her waist. Furball leapt onto the mecha arm, breathing patches of frost onto the machines armoured shell, as the rest of Taylors friends rushed to help her. Taylor however, finally managed to aim his weapon, directing the muzzle directly at Rourke's faltering smug face.

"Let her go." He ordered, as Rourke raised his hands and swallowed heavily. Taylor glanced back, watching Estela thrash in vain as she was lifted off her feet, and thrust into the mechs cockpit.  _"No! Estela!"_  He cried, turning back to Rourke with a snarl as the cockpit closed around her. "I said let her  _go,_  Rourke! I am  _done_  asking! Release her,  _now!"_

"I can't!" Rourke yelped, attempting to dodge the weapon, as Taylor paused for a moment in uncertainty. Sensing his hesitation, Rourke quickly launched into an explanation. "The project requires an emormous amount of energy, the sheer tachyons coursing through the device, would quickly kill me." He said, as a slow smirk crept across his lips. "But Estela is young and strong. Indomitable. A  _true_  Rourke."

"...  _What?!"_  Estela demanded, thumping her hands against the enclosing glass, as she stared down at Rourke in disbelief.

"I loved your mother, Olivia,  _very_  much." Rourke sighed, as Aleister choked, his eyes wide as he stared at Estela in disbelief. "And I believe, she loved me too, in her way... I regret her passing, with every day. I truly do."

"Lies...  _Lies!"_  Estela roared, raining down furious blows against the windshield as she scowled at Rourke hatefully. Fractures began to snake through the thick glass, when she suddenly hesitated, the realization in her heart slowly crippling her. Taylors heart ached, as the dark haired girl collapsed, weeping onto the pilots chair. "You bastard...  _you bastard_!"

"That's it." Jake growled, scowling as he quickly crossed the rooftop towards Rourke. "You just crossed the line, you piece of-" he snarled, grabbing Rourke and hurling him to the ground. He then whirled towards Taylor, knocking the gun from his hand as he stalked closer. "And as for  _you..."_  He growled, his cerulean eyes darkened by hatred as he glared at Taylor unknowingly; whose heart bled anew beneath his assault. "You tell me where my goddamn husband is  _right fucking now!"_  He roared, grabbing Taylor by the shoulders and shoving him back against the bar. "Lets see you teleport me now, you  _bastard..."_  He muttered darkly, baring his teeth in a snarl, as Mike approached and wrapped his arms around his torso, dragging him back a step. "Tell me!  _Where is he?!"_

Taylor swallowed heavily, leaning back against the counter as he tried to work through his shock and heartache. _I expected hatred, but... not to have to see it.._. He thought brokenly, lowering his head as Sean and Kele grabbed Rourke's arms and dragged him back to his feet. "... You never,  _never_  listen..." He murmured, shaking his head in defeat as he sighed, and slowly reached for his helmet. He hesitated, before lifting the helmet free, and dropping it to the floor, where it crashed loudly; the sound seeming to echo on the suddenly still rooftop. "Well? Here I am. You got what you wanted...  _Again."_  He said tiredly, looking up to meet Jake's wide eyes, his expression locked somewhere between shocked and disbelieving. " _Every time_ , I ask you to do something...  _Every time,_  I try to protect you; you  _always_  get your way. You  _always_  ignore me, and put yourself in danger..." He sighed, finally pushing away from the bar to run a hand through his hair.

"... Taylor?" Jake choked, attempting to break free of Mike's hold, only for his friend to hold onto him tightly, sensing the storm within Taylor as he tried to hide his distress from the pilot.

"How did you even get here?" Taylor demanded, scowling at the ground as he swallowed thickly, trying to push down against the flicker of hope in his broken heart. I still have to go through with it. This changes nothing... except they'll all be here. He thought firmly, his hand balling into a tight fist.

"Taylor..." Diego murmured, stepping towards him, only to pause at the dark look of warning his friend threw his way.  _"You_  sent us-"

 _"Yes!"_  Taylor cried, his vision blurring as his eyes stung with vicious tears of injustice _. "I_  sent you all back to Elyys'tel! I  _wanted_  you to be safe!  _I didn't want you to see_!" He cried, hiccupping, as a small sob escaped him. He sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, turning his face to the disappearing stars, as tears coursed over his cheeks. "Just  _one_  thing I wanted for myself... and it was too much to ask." He huffed, lowering his face again, as he turned his despairing gaze around his friends disbelieving expressions. "So, how did you do it? How did you manage to get back?"

"Dude,  _not_  cool..." Raj said, his face falling as he stared at Taylor reproachfully.

"That would be my doing, Taylor." The Clockmaker said, stepping forward from the back of the group. "Forgive me, but when they explained what had happened, I had suspicions, and offered my assistance."

"Of course..." Taylor huffed, shaking his head despondently. "I forgot you guys were in Elyys'tel." He sighed, rubbing his neck awkwardly. He looked between his friends, before finally turning back to face Jake, the pilots betrayed expression destroying the little hope which had flared in his heart. Which is probably for the best, anyway. He thought, as he glanced at the notebook, poking from the pilots pocket. "Did you even read it?" He asked at last, blinking slowly as fatigue and resignation stole over him.

Jake's expression morphed into a furious scowl, and had Taylor had the emotional capacity to react, he would likely have flinched beneath his hard glare. "That's  _all_  ya gonna say to me?" He demanded, shrugging free of Mike's hold, though he made no effort to approach Taylor. "No apologies, or askin' if I'm alright? No questions about what the hell I've just been through tryin' to find  _you?_  No explanation for  _why the hell you're bleedin'!?_ " He demanded, his voice rising as Taylor frowned in confusion, raising a hand to his head and wincing when it stung sharply.

"Oh." He said quietly, examining his fingers as they came away red. "Must have been Lundgren's missiles..." He said dismissively, looking up to Mike briefly. "He's dead, by the way." He said, the other soldier frowning briefly, before Taylor returned his gaze to Jake. "And no... I'm not gonna ask. Seems kinda redundant really, I mean; I know damn well that I'm nowhere near okay, and if roles were reversed, I already have a pretty good handle on how I'd be feeling... I apologised enough already in there." He said, gesturing to the notebook. "Is me saying it now gonna make you hate me any less?" He asked, frowning as Jake's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Bloody hell Taylor, I know ya an idiot, but gimme some damn credit!" The pilot growled, his scowl only deepening as Taylor stared at him in confusion. "I don't bloody hate you, you idiot! I love you! I've been goin' mad, tryin' to find ya so I don't lose you!" He cried brokenly, as Taylor lowered his gaze to the floor, viciously stamping out any trace of hope which tried to rise from the pilots declaration. "Don't get me wrong, Taylor, I am pissed as all hell at you right now, and it is gonna take some serious,  _serious_  work for me to ever trust your stupid ass again, but-"

"Jake..." Taylor said quietly, forcing the pilot to pause in his rant, as he slowly looked up at him. "You don't understand... This doesn't-"

"Well, well..." Rourke chuckled smugly, drawing the groups attention to focus on him. Taylor grimaced, turning towards the other man with a scowl. "You are quite  _full_  of surprises, aren't you Taylor?"

Taylor growled, ignoring his lingering fight with Jake and walking over to Rourke slowly. He stood before him, glaring intently into his face. "I just decimated what remained of your men, and held one of their own guns in your face." He said quietly, his hatred for the other man blazing in his eyes, as Rourke's smug and amused grin faltered slightly. "Now, release Estela, before I pick up that gun, and start blasting off random parts of you."

"I-impossible!" Rourke said quickly, shaking his head as he glanced at the discarded weapon. "Directive eight oh nine one has superiority over all other processes." He explained, his eyes returning to Taylors.

"I don't care..." Taylor said slowly, growling as he leaned closer to the man menacingly. " _Make it stop!"_

Rourke eyed Taylor dryly, stubbornly refusing to speak, as he stepped back and collected the gun Jake had knocked from his hands. He slowly walked back to Rourke, aiming the gun at the mans foot. He raised a brow, his finger sliding over the trigger as Rourke's countenance finally failed. "Iris, suspend the protocol." He said, clearing his throat nervously.

"Negative." Iris said blankly, staring ahead vacantly as she flickered briefly. "Omega Pilot Protocol cannot be suspended or overridden." She said, as the mech hefted the crystal pillar a d pointed thenpalm of its other hand toward it. A beam of blue energy surged forth, slamming into the side of the pillar.

"Estela!" Taylor cried, looking over in concern, as the rooftop heaved beneath them suddenly, the vortex beginning to expand toward the surrounding landscape. "Rourke! This is your  _last_  goddamn chance!" He roared, shifting the aim of his weapon to Rourke's face.

"It's coming, guys!" Raj cried, his gaze locked onto the vortex as it approached.

"We need to access the Omega Mechs operating system!" Aleister said, his eyes flitting over Taylor briefly, before locking onto the mech with a scowl. "It's the only way!"

Taylor frowned, looking over at the mech, where Estela was gazing at him in disbelief through the glass. He lowered his gaze shamefully, turning to see Zahra and Craig bracing against each other. The hacker pointed at a thatched gazebo, beside the Omega Mech. "Boost me onto that roof?" She asked loudly, as Craig nodded sharply in response.

"On it." He said, as he picked her up and helped her onto the top of the gazebo, where she leaned forward and reached up towards the mech.

"Crap." She swore, scowling as she struggled to keep reaching towards the colossal robot. "The panel on its waist is still too high up!"

Taylor heaved a deep breath, bracing an arm over his face as he strode closer to the mech. "Estela!" He called, his hand rising to the side of the cockpit as he peered up and met her gaze. "Can you bring its torso lower?" He asked slowly.

"I... I'll try." She said uncertainly, before scowling at Taylor reproachfully. "Just be aware that as soon as she gets me outta here, the first thing I'm gonna do is kick your ass for making me listen to McKenzie's break down!"

"Hey, I was  _goddamn_  entitled!" Jake growled, stepping up beside Taylor and grasping his hand tightly, scowling when Taylor tried to draw away. "I ain't lettin' you go, Taylor. That includes whatever suicide trip you're so set on. No more solo suicide missions. Ride or die. You  _promised_  me." Jake whispered fiercely, his hand gripping Taylors tightly as his eyes filled with fresh tears of heartache.

 _"Jake..."_  He murmured, desperate to explain, but turning towards the mech instead; as Estela grabbed the controls. The steel clad giant took a step forward, almost knocking the gazebo over.

"Hey! Watch it!" Zahra exclaimed, scowling at Estela balefully. The mechs knees slowly bent, bringing the central panel close enough for Zahra to reach.

"Its no use." Rourke called, his smug confidence returned as Taylor remained by the mech. "You heard Iris... Now that Dorective eight oh nine one has been...  _Hrff!"_  He gagged suddenly, as Michelle pulled a loop of gauze over Rourke's mouth.

"Not another word." She said, glaring at him as he scowled back at her indignantly. She glanced across at Taylor, who quickly looked away, unable to meet what he anticipated to be the accusatory glares of his friends.

He looked up to see a display screen illuminating Zahra's face, as she typed several commands. "There we go. That  _should-"_  she said, breaking off suddenly when the screen flashed red. "What? Oh, come on!" She demanded, as Estela tried to move the mechs arms, to no avail. Red light continued to flicker across Zahra's face, as she studied the screen intently. "No, that doesn't make sense... I don't get why it wouldn't just-"

"I can't see the coastline anymore, dudes!" Raj warned, his eyes wide as he stared out at the rapidly decreasing island remaining beyond the hotel. "I reckon we got about a minute before..." He gulped heavily, shaking his head as the words refused to come to him.

"Dammit, this should work!" Zahra growled, scowling as she slammed her hand against the mech in agitation. "S-something's screwed up! I don't... I don't understand." She said, shaking her head in frustration, as her eyes filled with tears. She stepped back control panel, pausing as she stated at it a moment longer, before locking ot as hard as she could.

"Uh, Z?" Craig called, as Taylor stared up at her quietly, understanding the grief which ate at her. "You alrigh-"

 _"Rrrah!"_  Zahra roared, delivering another sharp kick to the panel, her fury blinding her to the damage she was causing.

"She's gonna break that thing." Jake warned, watching her in wide eyed concern, before frowning as he noticed Taylors lack of concern.

"No... She won't." He said dispassionately, as a flare of blue-green light erupted from the pillar and drifted towards his friend, becoming Vaanu's spirit. Taylor swallowed heavily, scowling st the spectre, before quickly averting his gaze. I hate you. He thought tiredly, unknowingly squeezing Jake's hand in his distress.

Zahra stared at the spirit, enraged by her failure. "The hell you looking at?!" She demanded, scowling at the spectre viciously, as Vaanu extended a small tablet device towards her urgingly.

"You're turn, Zahra." Taylor called, ignoring Jake's frown as he looked up at the hacker imploringly. "Take it, and save her! Please, Snape!"

"My old Kali tablet?" Zahra choked, her brows rising on disbelief. She hesitated, before grabbing the device eagerly, immediately sweeping Taylor away to an industrial looking concert venue, packed with patrons. Grinding guitars blared from speakers, as Zahra took to the stage. With her hair pulled up into a bun, and a new fringe, Zahra looked every bit the authentic rock chick, as she stepped up to the microphone in her bright red blazer.

"How we doin' tonight, Hartfeld?" She leered, laughing when people in the crowd began screaming at the top of their lungs. "Haha, that's how I feel...  _Ahhhhhh!"_  She roared, before calming herself and winking at the crowd. "This one's for someone special... You know who you are." She said, her eyes brushing over a figure seated at the back of the bar. She quickly lowered her gaze, however, as Craig turned towards the stage. "One, two, three, four!" She yelled, nodding along with the beat, as the band kicked into a fast paced groove.

 _"Loadin' up the save for the very first time... Better not die my ulti is primed... Whatcha doin' to mere... Player! Two!_ " She sang, as everyone began jumping in place, causing the floor to shake. Craig could be seen laughing in surprise at the bar, his eyes alight with joyful amusement.

 _"Boss ain't playing and we're gonna get wrecked... Pull those mobs if you want my respect... You're killin' meee... Player! Two_!" Craig laughed fondly, as Zahra finally looked over at him, beaming as he began to cheer loudly.

 _"Woooo!_  Yeah!" He cried, as Zahra leaned close to the microphone and pointed out into the crowd.

 _"Where's my rez? Where's my rez? Where's rez_?" She chanted, her eyes widening as she met Craig's amused gaze _. "I need youuu... Player! Two!_ " Zahra broke into a wide grin, her joy obvious as she beamed over at the ex-jock.  _"I need you, Player Two_..." She said, dropping her mic and falling into the outstretched arms of the crowd before her.

Craig laughed, watching her as she surfed the crowd briefly, before they set her carefully on her feet. A short while later, she made her way over to Craig. "Gotta say, I'm not used to you shouting about your love life in front of everybody like that..." He said, beaming as she stepped up beside him.

"First, it's called singing, loser boy." Zahra snarked, swatting his shoulder affectionately. "And second... I dunno, I just, think its time to let the secret out." She said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"What secret would that be?" Craig asked, grinning as he gazed down at her in amusement.

"That I snagged the perfect guy." She said proudly, beaming a wide grin, before suddenly feigning a concerned expression. "Yeah, so, he's waiting for me backstage... Gotta get going if you don't mi-"

Craig sniggered, grinning and grabbing Zahra as she pretended to leave. "Nice try, Player One." He murmured, leaning down to kiss her passionately. Zahra giggled, and smacked him on the ass as she wagged her brows at him. "Pretty dope song, actually."

"I didn't sing all of its verses..." Zahra admitted slyly, her hand curling into the collar of his denim jacket. "That's for your private concert later." She sniggered, winking coyly.

"I think tickets just sold out..." Craig said, a huge smile spreading across his face as he gazed down at her joyfully. "So, you wanna just chill tonight?"

"Are you kidding?" Zahra snorted, swatting him playfully as she beamed at him. "It's our anniversary. We're about to party like there's no tomorrow, nerdface." She said, as Craig beamed at her, and enfolded her into a kiss, just as blinding light flared and obscured Taylors vision and returned him to reality.

Zahra stared at Taylor in disbelief, swallowing heavily. "... I think, I needed that." She said, as Taylor felt the last piece of his heart tremble in his chest.

"Yeah... you always do." He mumbled quietly, lowering his gaze to the floor as he tried to hold himself together.  _Just a little while longer.._. He promised himself, drawing in a deep, shaky breath to steady his rising nerves.

Zahra quickly logged into her old tablet, her eyebrows raising suddenly. "There's another system here...  _Iris!"_  She gasped, crouching and resting the device in her lap, as she began entering commands as fast as her fingers could move.

"Warning!" Iris cried suddenly, her eyes widening in surprise; her first emotional response since Rourke had tampered with the A.I.s programming. "Authorizations compromised!" She cried, her hologram glitching wildly, as she began to speak in a strange and disjointed language. " _TH1s OS goT 0WNed bY thE L1Ch-qU33n!"_

"That's what I'm talkin' about, Z!" Craig cheered, beaming up at the hacker proudly, as she laughed in relief.

"Restoring Imogen's access!" She said proudly, smirking as her fingers tapped at the keys quickly.

"W-what? I'm..." Iris gasped, the beam firing on the crystal pillar abruptly ceasing as she gazed around in disbelief. Everyone looked skyward, relieved the vortex seemed to have stopped expanding.

"I think we're alright!" Raj cried, leaning over the railing swallowing nervously. "I can't see the lower floors of the hotel though."

"Iris," Taylor called quietly, looking up at the hologram fondly. "Can you let Estela out of the cockpit, please?" He asked tiredly, holding tightly to the last shred of his tattered emotions.

Rourke finally gnashed through his gag, leaning towards Iris with a sneer. "Is that really what you'd want to do, Iris?" He asked, smirking as Iris looked over at him. "Set Olivia's daughter free?"

"You mean your love child, from the illicit affair you two had?!" Iris asked, scowling at the man furiously.

Michelle slapped Rourke hard, keeping her finger pointed to his face as she leaned closer with a menacing scowl. "Shut! The  _hell!_  Up!" She ordered fiercely.

Estela slapped her palms against the side of the cockpit, drawing the holograms attention. "Iris, please, let me out..." She beggd, as Iris's expression softened.

"Estela..." She sighed, as her emotions welled up within her translucent eyes. The Omega Mech lowered itself, and the cockpit slowly opened. "Of  _course..._  I owe it to your mother, to do the right thing." She said, as the mech set down the crystal pillar, which still blazed as if lit from within by fire.

Edtela ran out of the cockpit to safety, straight into Raj's arms, as the large boy swept he roff her feet; while Quinn, Craig and Zahra all stood around her protectively.

"Don't you dare!" Rourke snarled, scowling in disbelief at the hologram. "Your programming exists to see this through! You stupid  _cow,_  activate Directive-"

Sean and Kele dragged Rourke to the ground, as Iris smirked over at his prone form. "Sorry?" She asked innocently, giggling gleefully at his hateful scowl. "I didn't catch that." She said, before quickly turning to Aleister. "Aleister, I know discovering your true nature has been very difficult..." She said, her gaze saddened by the grief she felt over her emotionless explanation. "But please know; you were  _always_  my son, and you always will be... Even though he refused to be a father to you."

"... Mother." Aleister murmured, his face falling as he gazed up at her longingly.

Sean walked to the railing, and squinted into the distance. "I don't see anything out there..." The athlete said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I think we're trapped in the vortex!"

"Between all possible timelines." Jake murmured, as Taylor dragged in a shaking breath.

"Well..." He croaked, twisting his hand free of the pilots. "Looks like I'm up." He said quietly, approaching the glowing mass of crystal resolutely.

"Taylor!" Jake cried, reaching for him, only for Taylor to scowl and flinch away.  _"Taylor-"_

"I can fix this!" He yelled, his eyes welling with tears as he glared at his pilot brokenly. "I have to fix this... I can't...  _This_  is  _my_  destiny. What I was made for... I don't belong-"

"You're  _wrong!"_  Jake roared, ignoring Taylors attempts to squirm away and grasping his shoulders tightly. "You're wrong, you belong with  _me._  The only thing you gotta do, is  _stay_  with me!" He demanded, as Taylor gripped the pilots arms weakly and gazed up at him wistfully.

"Jake-" his protests were cut off, as Jake pulled him close and kissed him in desperate hope. Taylor choked, tears soaking his cheeks as the pilot held him tightly and swept his tongue against Taylors urgently. He gasped, the pilots kiss seeming to blaze and burn as he tried to convey his desperation for Taylor to understand.  _"Jake..."_  He choked, as the pilot finally pulled away, the pair panting heavily as they gazed at each other. Taylor felt his restraint quake, and he shook his head sadly as he took a step back. "I want nothing more, than to spend forever with you..." He whispered, moving back quickly as Jake's eyes widened in fearful realisation. "... But I  _can't."_  He sobbed, dragging in a deep breath to steady himself as he turned and reached out with both hands to the crystals shimmering surface.

 _"Taylor-!"_  Jake cried, reaching for him too late, as Taylor was swept away to an alien landscape. His chest heaved with grief, as he looked around in disinterest, trying to distract himself from Jake's burning kiss. He ran his eyes over cliffs which rose in strange, sweeping shapes from a crater marked plain. Blue flames caught, along rock and soil alike, billowing into the air like an ethereal curtain.

"Where are you..?" He called quietly, slowly walking forward across the familiar landscape. A wind rose around him, bringing with it the sound of anguished wailing. "Oh please, stop being so dramatic..." He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Its not like you're giving up anything." He spat in vicious resentment. He followed the pitiful wailing to a series of crystal prisms, jutting from the ground, emitting colourful flashes in his direction.

"You know, you could just speak to me normally." He sighed, scowling at the crystals in irritation. "I  _know_  you can. And I know you're aware that I don't understand your little flash show." He snarked, as one of the crystals ignited with blue fire, and violently shattered apart.

"Hey!" Taylor growled, his scowl intensifying as the voice became louder, seeming to cry out foe his help. "Oh, for pity's sake..." He muttered, reaching out for the remaining prisms. He touched the second crystal tentatively, its green light all too familiar. After only a brief peek at the images it tried to show him however, he snatched his hand away, shaking his head as the other crystals flashed colour towards him from their blackened, half-shattered stumps.

"I am  _not_  doing this!" Taylor roared, driving the flashing lights away. The crystals darkened abruptly, leaving himself face to face with Vaanu, amid the spreading inferno. "You..." He began, pausing as he recalled the phrase of The Endless's teachings. "... Everything In Its Own Time." He murmured, and almost instantly, the blue fire died away.

"Everything in its own time." Vaanu repeated, shaking their translucent head in slow fascination. "They are only words, and yet, my entire perspective has been altered. I'd somehow forgotten the patient, inevitable nature of the universe..."

Taylor narrowed his eyes, cocking his head thoughtfully as he gazed at Vaanu in consideration _. It... doesn't know. that I remember things, or what I saw..._  Taylor swallowed heavily, shifting his weight slightly as he peered at the other being. "What are you?" He asked cautiously.

"Perhaps it will be easier for you to understand me this way." Vaanu said, seeming to radiate with joy towards him, while Taylor felt himself sink deeper into the pit of despair he found himself buried in. "My kind is unlike anything you can readily remember." Vaanu said, as they surveyed the rocky plain around them, littered with crystalline fragments. "When the fires came, they consumed everything I'd ever known... And when the planet was finally torn apart, I was hurled through space; ultimately arriving on Earth." They explained slowly. "Upon my impact, La Huerta was dragged up from the molten mantle." Vaanu continued, the light radiating seeming to dim slightly. "And, as the fire coursed through me, time shattered apart."

 _Manipulative bastard._  Taylor thought, grimacing as he lowered his face and considered the things he'd learnt for himself.  _No wonder The Endless was such a dick._  He thought sourly, glancing back at Vaanu tiredly. "Those crystals wanted to help you." He said knowingly, as Vaanu nodded slowly.

"Though we reside light years from Earth, we're more similar to humans than you'd expect. Let me show you..." They said, drawing Taylor to the familiar sight of Jake's plane, where Diego gazed sadly out the window. "Like us, your hearts-"

 _"Stop!"_  Taylor cried, viciously pulling himself free of the vision. He panted in fearful concern, shaking his head as he ran a hand over his eyes. His hands shook, as he stepped back from Vaanu, exhaling sharply at the pain which tried to fester in his hollowed chest. "I know what I am." He said quietly, a chill rising through him as he finally put his knowledge into words. "The missing piece." He said sourly, gazing at Vaanu bitterly.

"But my energy was merely the seed." Vaanu agreed easily, tilting their head curiously. "The need in your friends made it grow... and the love they began to feel for you made it flourish.  _You're_  the person they needed, in order to move forward with their lives."

 _Because of you_... Taylor thought hatefully, clenching his fist to try and hold back his irritation. "Which is why I can't remember anything about my past... And why I kept jumping around in time." He said, clearing his throat as he attempted to hide his turbulent emotions and thoughts.

"Unknowingly, you may have developed false memories to fill a void..." Vaanu admitted flippantly, as Taylor narrowed his eyes, his private suspicions confirmed.

 _"Why..?"_  Taylor asked, his face crumpling with grief as he looked at Vaanu brokenly. "I just... need to know why..."

"To give us all hope." Vaanu said easily, as Taylor choked and shook his head in disbelief. "I know it must be hard, but please try to understand, Taylor... Your friends need you now more than ever."

"Don't tell me about what they need. I  _know_  what they need." Taylor said quickly, a scowl marring his face as he tilted his head curiously. "So, what..? Are you broken, because of me?"

"What a strange thought..." Vaanu hummed, seeming genuinely surprised by his query. "I am incomplete without the energy that made you... But, thanks to your efforts, I'm more unified than I've been in a millennia."

"Of course..." Taylor muttered darkly, lowering his gaze to the floor resentfully.  _Because you used them all. And you used... **made...**  me to do it_. He thought, sighing deeply as he tried to hide his emotions. "So. What now..?" He asked, as Vaanu cocked their head.

"Three possible futures lay before you." The spirit informed him, as Taylor steeled himself as best he could. "Rourke's project could be completed, taking the earth to a different past. Your friends will be as they were, but nothing from-"

"No." Taylor said, shaking his head as he gazed at the floor vacantly. "No, I can't do that to them." He whispered quietly.

"Well, you may reverse the vortex... Preserving La Huerta forever, as The Endless had hoped." Vaanu offered, as Taylor silently shook his head, his eyes watering.

"Let's just skip the whole rundown thing." He said, his voice small as he finally raised his gaze tiredly. "You need me to give up my life, and return to you." He said, swallowing thickly.

"Our consciousness's will merge, and all timelines will become one." Vaanu said joyously, radiating with glee as Taylor nodded tiredly.

"And that's it. Those three..?" He asked, tentatively probing as he ran a hand through his hair. "Let Rourke win... Imprison them all forever... Or send you home." He hummed, as Vaanu nodded.

"We cannot control our circumstances, only how we navigate them." The spirit replied, as Taylor turned away to hide a scowl. "As ever though, the choice remains with you, Taylor..." They said, as Taylor glared unto the distance and balled his hand into a fist.

 _As ever... But this time, I'm not playing by the rules everyone's tried to limit me with._  He thought gruffly, biting his lip as he steeled his determination.  _This time, the choice is **all**  mine_.


	14. You Mean The World To Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello...  
> Ahem... yeah. This is me being, totally not nervous at all. *awkward coughing here...
> 
> So... this is sort of a part one i guess? See my plan was to conclude here and just have one more after thus to tie thing up
> 
> But, it felt more natural to break here, so... even though the chapter is a little shorter than normal - i hope its still a good chapter...  
> One step closer anyway, and all that.
> 
> So... i hope ou uh, enjoy... and i will hopefully be back again soon... though maybe not wuite as soon as this chapter cane out cuz theres a lot im hoping to put in the rest...
> 
> x My love to you all x

**14.**

**You Mean The World To Me.**

_I hate you... beyond words_. Taylor thought despondently, shaking his head as he swallowed thickly. He wasn't even sure who he was thinking of as he thought it. Rourke, with his smug grin and he would get his own way. The Endless, who had lied to and manipulated them all countless times. Or Vaanu, the very being which had brought him into being; only to take away everything he'd come to love so dearly. "There's only one thing left to do... I choose-" He said tiredly, his heart pulsing weakly in protest. He turned towards Vaanu, as the crystal landscape faded, returning him suddenly to the rooftop of The Celestial. "What?!  _No!"_  He gasped, as Jake collided with him.  _Vaanu, you bastard! Why the hell did you send me back here?_! He thought brokenly, struggling futilely, as Jake tore him away from the crystal pillar and forced him to meet his furious gaze.

"Taylor, what the  _hell_  are you doing?!" The pilot demanded, scowling as he pulled Taylor across the roof to his friends. "You belong with  _us,_  Taylor! You belong with  _me!"_  Jake insisted firmly, shaking Taylors shoulders as he gazed up at the pilot in weary resignation.

"Jake, you don't understand-" Taylor protested weakly, resting his forehead to the pilots shoulder briefly.

"No, I just don't  _care,_  there's a goddamn difference!" Jake said firmly, his fingers grasping Taylors metal suit hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "Look, I... I do get why you went off alone. You did it for me; you  _saved_  Mike, maybe even all of us..." He said imploringly, raising his hands to cup Taylors cheeks, forcing him to meet his frantic gaze. "But Taylor that's it done now, we  _found_  you, and you're okay. I'll... I'll get over the scare, I'll forgive ya, you  _know_  I will! Just, please, Taylor... Please, whatever you think you gotta do, you  _don't._  You just gotta  _stay with me_." He pleaded, as Taylors eyes stung and watered, his fingers curling into the pilots jacket as he hiccupped on a sob.

He shook his head, his throat too tight for words as his friends gathered around them, preventing him from escaping back to the crystal pillar. "Taylor, you mean so much to all of us... You can't expect us to just stand back, if it means losing you." Quinn said quietly, her crystalline eyes red rimmed and flooded with tears as she laid a hand on his arm.

"Quinn said it much kinder than I would've, assbutt." Diego said, frowning at Taylor as he glanced over with an empty gaze. "I am not about to let my best friend go all Harry Stamper, without kicking his ass for it." He said, as Taylor choked weakly, his heart aching painfully at his friends attempts to reassure him. He looked up at the vortex, watching as it began to whirl faster, like a malevolent clock; racing to count down to the last, fleeting moments before disaster overtook them all.

Across from them, the crystal pillar shimmered peacefully. "Still with us, Taylor?" Jake asked nervously, brushing his thumbs over Taylors cheeks gently as he sucked in a deep, shaky breath and swallowed thickly.

"Y-yeah. I'm... I'm here." He muttered quietly, his fingers beginning to toy with the pilots dog tags unconsciously. He looked down in surprise, as Jake's hand closed on his own, the golden rings glittering above their hands.

"We get outta here, these're getting resized and goin' on fingers. Here me, Boy Scout?" He whispered firmly, his cerulean eyes blazing fiercely as he gazed at Taylor intently. "I'll do whatever ya damn well want, Boy Scout... I'll do anythin', just... ya gotta  _fight,_  Taylor..!" He pleaded, as Taylors expression twisted with guilt and grief.

"Jake..." He hiccupped quietly, trying to hold back his tears. He gasped as Rourke struggled to rise, welcoming the distraction from the pilot and his attempts to persuade Taylor to change his mind, admittedly terrified the pilot might succeed.

Sean and Kele kept Rourke securely pinned to the ground between them, as the man scoffed and struggled in their grasp. "If I may... just-" he groused, scowling as he tried to raise his head towards them.

"I am  _so_  tired of your voice." Taylor sighed tiredly, tipping his head towards Sean and Kele. "Let him up." He said, as the pair exchanged a glance, before reluctantly releasing their grip.

Rourke pushed himself to his feet, brushing himself off with an indignant huff. "Project Janus, was designed to purge the Earth of time anomalies." He explained smugly, glancing at Taylor meaningfully. "It can fix,  _all_  of this. Estela has given us the chance we needed... All that remains, is to allow the process to bring the Earth to an optimal state."

 _"Pfft,_  you're nothing but an egotistical maniac, a liar and a sick, twisted bastard to boot." Taylor snorted, shaking his head in disgust, as his friends closed in around him; as if scared Rourke might snatch him away any moment. "But why don't you amuse the class? Define your 'optimal state'."

"Why, all of humanity's potential, realized; of course!" Rourke chuckled, before turning serious, as he eyed Taylor knowingly. "I always knew you were  _different,_  Taylor. You have a connection to The Islands Heart..." He said, as Taylor flinched, while Jake's arms curled around his shoulders protectively. The pilot scowled at Rourke, baring his teeth in a fierce snarl as Rourke cocked his head curiously. "Have you explained to your friends, just what you really are?"

Taylor flinched violently, cringing in on himself as his eyes dropped to the notebook he'd filled with the story of their journey. "I..." He said, pausing when his mouth closed suddenly of its own volition, words abandoning him.

"He's told us everything, you disgustin' piece of-" Jake snarled, falling silent as Mike laid a hand in his arm comfortingly. Jake growled, digging out the notebook and throwing it to Rourke's feet, as the man raised a brow, looking at Taylor intently.

 _"Everything,_  Taylor?" He asked, humming thoughtfully, as Taylor locked his eyes on the rings on Jake's chain, the tiny etchings glinting as they caught the flickering light from the vortex. "Well, in that case your friends should be aware... That you can drain the crystals remaining energy into The Omega Mech; and finish this." He said, smirking as Taylor finally flicked his eyes up to meet the mans gaze, though his dark blue eyes were unusually hard with hatred. "The world will be restored, save for the ignorance, suffering and death. Qualities that have limited man for eons... It's all a matter of  _strategically_  revising Earth's history."

"... That sounds bad, guys." Raj said, shaking his head as his eyes darted around the group uneasily.  _"Real_  bad."

"You can't just tamper with history!" Grace insisted, her eyes wide in disbelief as she stared at Rourke. "Countless carefully balanced equations have made the world the way it is!"

"There will be differences, yes." Rourke said dismissively, as Taylor snorted at his severe understatement. "But, you will be  _together._  And, those you've lost; will be returned to you."

"You mean..." Jake choked, his eyes widening as he gazed at Rourke in sudden realisation and shocked disbelief. Taylor swallowed heavily, his chest aching at the familiar scene.

"Your sister, Rebecca would be alive." Rourke said slyly, grinning as Jake flinched guiltily. Taylor tried to free himself from the pilots hold, desperate for distance between them as he anticipated the pilots reaction.

As Taylor expected, Jake was rendered speechless at the revelation. His chest lurched threateningly, as a ragged gasp escaped the pilot. "If that's true... It'd mean a whole lot to me." He said, clicking his tongue wistfully, before looking down at Taylor brokenly. "But, I ain't about to gamble my everythin'..."

Taylor choked, his eyes wide as he stared up at Jake in shock, shaking his head in slow disbelief as his brow furrowed slightly. "But-"

"What he's neglectin' to say," Mike said, leaning close to whisper to Taylor conspiratorially. "Is Rebecca would kick his sorry ass if he even  _considered_  screwin' things up with you."

"Hey, I was bein' romantic." Jake snarked, frowning at his friend in irritation. "Now he's gonna think its 'cause of that, and not just 'cause I bloody love him."

"Not  _my_  fault you fell for an idiot, Grandpa." Mike snorted, winking at Taylor briefly before discreetly stepping back.

"Taylor, ignore him," Jake insisted, drawing Taylors attention back to him, as his chest ached with hope and pain alike. "Look at  _me..._  I mean it. If anythin' were to happen to you, if I lost you, I don't care what you think... I'd remember. And it'd  _kill_  me Taylor. I love my sister, but she's gone. You're not. I don't care about the world, I just want  _you."_  He said, his cheeks staining with red as he glared at Mike's tellingly shaking shoulders. "Hey, shut up, ya basta-  _mmpf..."_

Taylors heart melted, his tears falling freely as he kissed Jake with everything he had left inside him. His teeth scraped against the pilots lip urgently, as Jake pulled him closer, instantly reacting to Taylors demands with equal fervour and desperation. Taylor gasped, drawing in an urgent breath before pressing himself ever closer to the pilot, his eyes squeezed shut tightly, as he tried to convey every rapturous beat of his heart. "You have..." He choked, as they trailed into lighter, briefer kisses. " _No idea_ , what it means... to hear you say that." Taylor finally choked out, his cheeks glistening from the tears he'd wept in his pained joy.

"I'll say it again whenever ya damn well need me to, every damn day; fifty times a day, if I have to..." Jake promised, holding him tightly as his clear eyes lit with hope.  _"Please,_  Taylor."

Taylor swallowed heavily, yearning deep in his heart as he bit his lip and stared at Jake, desperately wishing to agree. "God, why d'you have to make this so hard?" He finally sighed, grimacing as he tried to regain control of his traitorous heart. "This was all supposed to be over by now... You weren't supposed to  _be_  here, to be able to confuse me like this. I..." He whispered hoarsely, trying to lower his face,only for Jake to grasp it between his hands.

"I'm gonna take that as a good sign..." He murmured quickly, leaning his forehead to Taylors intimately. "You do such stupid shit when I'm not around. C'mon, Boy Scout... You don't gotta do this alone! _I got you_..." He said pleadingly, brushing light kisses along Taylors cheek urgently.

 _"Jaaaake..."_  Taylor whined longingly, his brow creased in confusion, hope and despair combined.  _What if he is right after all..? What if we could-_

"Of course, it wouldn't just be Jake's sister... Imogen too, would be as she once was." Rourke interjected quickly, sensing Jake's potential to sway Taylors decision, and seeking to distract him from the thoughts and feelings his pilot had stirred within his tattered heart.

Aleister swallowed heavily, his gaze settling upon Iris longingly. "Guys," Diego called pleadingly, his eyes wide as Taylor reluctantly met his gaze, guilt weighing heavy in his gut. "We can't do what Rourke wants! What about Varyyn?!" He demanded, his eyes hardening accusingly as his gaze dipped between Jake and Taylor.

"Do not be concerned with me, my love." Varyyn rebuked gently, his gaze soft as he ran his fingers over Diego's cheek lightly. "The Vaanti have prepared for this moment for generations."

"I'm not talking about the Vaanti, I'm talking about  _you!"_  Diego roared, slapping Varyyn's hand away as he glared up at him with tearful eyes. "I'm talking about  _us!"_  He sobbed, pounding his fist weakly to Varyyn's chest.

The Elyyshar's face fell, as he gently folded his arms around Diego, pulled him close and holding him tightly. "We are joined as one. If our bond is meant to last, what happens here will not change that."

Diego dropped his head to Varyyn's shoulder, burying his face in the side of his neck. "That was  _not_  the inspiring speech you meant it to be." He groused, his voice muffled by the Vaanti's throat.

"I can ensure you all survive." Rourke said quickly, his gaze flitting around the group nervously. "That's a promise."

"The promise of a  _snake."_  Estela snarled, glaring at the man with such an intense hatred, that Taylor shivered and looked away.

"I suppose skepticism is...  _understandable."_  Rourke said awkwardly, clearing his throat as his face fell, and he turned towards Iris's hologram. "Iris, confirm settings, regarding Taylors friends." He ordered sharply, clicking his fingers to indicate her immediate response.

"Only if that's what Taylor wishes." Iris growled stubbornly, scowling at Rourke hatefully. She turned towards Taylor, her expression softening as her met her gaze uncertainly. "Taylor?"

"I..." Taylor paused, glancing around his friends and drinking in their confused but potentially hopeful expressions. _If we're playing this game, I might as well let them hear everything while they're here... Before it all disappears_. He thought, biting his lip as he glanced at Jake briefly, the pilot watching him intently. "Please, go ahead, Iris..." He said quietly, his fingers curling in Jake's jacket.

"Project Janus will return the Selected to the beginning of their freshman year ar Hartfeld University." Iris explained, smiling gently as she watched their various reactions. "La Huerta will not exist, nor any trace of it's impact remain... Further, Taylors past would be altered; giving him a family, and also placing him at Hartfeld."

"Huh? But, that's how his past is already, though." Zahra said confusedly, as Rourke began to chuckle quietly. Taylor turned to Rourke, an angry snarl twisting free in his grief.

"Shut up!" He ordered, scowling at the suited man menacingly. Rourke raised both hands, though he gazed at Taylor knowingly; now fully aware there was a single detail, Taylor had left out of his farewell in the notebook.

"Taylor-?" Jake asked, frowning as he glanced at Rourke, before looking back at Taylor with a sharp focus in his clear eyes.

"Ignore him." He said quickly, shaking his head as he looked around his friends, biting his lip at their reactions to Iris's explanation. Jake looked about to push further, when Mike caught his eyes, subtly declining his head in a silent signal to wait. Jake sighed, and reluctantly complied, looking down at Taylor in concern.

"But if we go back, won't we lose everything that's happened here?" Diego asked, frowning as they all exchanged meaningful glances, recounting everything they'd been through together.

"My Rotterdam's..?" Quinn said sadly, her hand covering her heart as she contemplated having to return to a life where her body would once again be beyond her control.

"My vengeance." Estela said thoughtfully, raising her eyes to Taylors, before glancing away; her cheeks stained with pink.

"My  _marriage..."_  Diego sighed, leaning against Varyyn, as Jake squeezed Taylors shoulders and drew him tighter against him.

"You'll be  _alive."_  Rourke sighed, rolling his eyes at their dramatic displays of emotion. "You'll have your families. And you'll all be together." He drawled with a hint of sarcasm, his expression darkening as he scowled at Taylor. "No one's offering you a better deal than that."

Aleister cast a final pained look towards Iris's hologram, before sighing deeply. "If the Mechs energy is returned to the Heart, it should reverse the vortex, allowing us to stay on La Huerta." The pale boy said quietly, as Taylor closed his eyes longingly.

"Then I say we stay." Raj said, looking around them all with a thoughtful frown. "The worlds gone anyway... Maybe, it's okay in another timeline, but in ours; we just gotta accept that we lost it." He said, as Taylors shoulders shook lightly, his teeth clenched as his eyes squeezed tight to try and contain his grief.

"Yeah." Craig agreed, nodding his head as he clapped Raj on the shoulder gently. "And... I don't wanna try to go home, only to have it blow up in our faces again."

"We can make a life for ourselves here." Grace said brightly, her fingers tapping together as her eyes danced with calculations and plans for the future they could establish for themselves. "We have everything we need."

"See, Boy Scout?" Jake murmured, trying to raise Taylors face but failing drastically, as Taylor sobbed quietly into his chest. "Ain't none of us wanna risk losin' you, or each other. We're all we got left, Boy Scout..."

"Jake stop it,  _please..!"_  Taylor pleaded brokenly, finally revealing his state to the pilot as he raised his tormented eyes to meet Jake's. "You can't say that you would honestly give up your sister, your folks for  _this!"_  He cried, beating his palms against the pilots chest as he tried to squirm away, only for Jake to hold him tighter in response. "... for  _me."_  He sobbed, his shoulders hunching as the fight drained out of him suddenly. "You don't understand..."

"I  _understand_  we're all beggin' ya to let us stay together,  _here,_  where we can make homes; lives for ourselves!" Jake said imploringly, as Taylor shook his head in frustration.

"You're all telling me you'd rather stay here on La Huerta, guys?" He demanded, his eyes settling on Michelle. "You said yourself, you had your whole life planned out! You could have that back..!" He insisted, pretending his resolve wasn't drastically weakened by the way Jake affectionately curled his fingers into the short hairs at the back of his neck. "And... Aleister, you-!"

"My whole life before this was a lie..." The pale boy said, his quiet interruption easily bringing Taylors protests to an abrupt halt. "I'm certainly not in any rush to go back..." He said, glancing down at Grace, as his gaze softened. "And what Vaanu showed me, could happen here just as easily."

Taylor flinched as if he'd been struck, a sound of distress leaving his throat as he hid his face in Jake's shoulder briefly, his eyes frantic with grief, guilt and pain. He felt a faint pulse in the back of his mind, which beat in sync with his heart, but radiated with resentment and yearning combined. He was reminded of the same sensation he'd felt when talking with Mike for the first time, and hoped once he got control of himself it would again fade away.

"We got it good here, fam." Raj said, smiling around the group, as several of the others began to nod thoughtfully in agreement.

 _"Do_  we?" Michelle asked, her expression guilty as the others turned to her on surprise. "I mean, we'd be alive, and together... But Taylors right. Is staying on this island, really even a life?" She asked, glancing around apologetically.

"There are so many things I wanted to do..." Quinn admitted, her cheeks puffing out as she pouted thoughtfully. "To see the world, and go on new adventures... But, I've had adventures with all of you already!" She said, brightening as she looked around fondly, her warm smile settling on Taylor. "And, there's nothing to say we can't still do that! This island's plenty big enough to keep us amused!" She giggled, though her expression quickly faded to a concerned frown, when Taylor refused to meet her eyes.

"I already gave up on all of that once, back when I was holed up in the ruins." Zahra said flippantly, though she scratched her chin guiltily. "Though, Vaanu's vision kinda made me hope it might be possible..." She admitted, as Craig drew her into his side gently.

"I can understand..." Estela said quietly, looking around them all, as she approached Taylor and Jake slowly. "But, isn't this what The Endless wanted for us?" She asked curiously, exchanging a concerned glance with Jake, when Taylor tensed at the mention of his alternate self. "To be safe here, forever?"

"The lying, manipulative bastard who spent decades reworking things in his favour to make that chance for us..." Taylor growled quietly, his hands curling into fists against Jake's chest. "You shouldn't put any faith in anything he offered you... He's just as bad as Rourke." He muttered darkly, his eyes narrowing as Jake and Estela's eyes met in concern. "Besides, he's gone now..." He said bitterly, his thoughts drifting back to the last time he'd seen The Endless.

"Taylor, please...  _wait!"_  Taylor blinked, startled to find himself locked tight within the memory, staring at The Endless's pleading, wrinkled face. "Rourke will promise everything... then take away the very thing we've fought to protect..." The old man said, crawling towards Taylor and reaching out frantically.

Taylor frowned, the memory seeming impossibly vivid, as he glanced around at the dimly lit cavern walls. He took an uncertain step backwards, able to feel the heat coming from the lava pool, and to he's the scrape of The Endless's metal arm against the jagged stone. "This is...  _real?!"_  He choked suddenly, his eyes widening in surprise, as he realized he'd somehow managed to travel back through time; to that very moment beneath Mount Atropo. "Is this  _you're_  doing, you lying bastard?" He demanded, scowling as The Endless ignored his question, reaching out to him urgently.

"Let me show you, Taylor." He pleaded, his dark blue eyes imploring as Taylor frowned and hesitated. "All that I've seen. All that I've lived. Every variation of our lives on La Huerta, over my two thousand, one hundred and thirty nine attempts to save everyone...  _Please."_  He said, struggling to touch his intact hand to Taylors forehead.

Taylor bit his lip, uncertainty churning in his gut, as he looked down at The Endless with a confused scowl _. Is he trying to sway me? To make sure I do what he wants_..? He wondered, leaning back slightly.  _Well, I already know everything from this life... But, this would give me extra memories to cherish..._  He thought, humming lightly as he hovered in indecision. He leaned forward slightly, and images began to flicker into being in his mind; his friends falling in love, working as a team to survive, discovering secrets together. He bit his lip, sorely tempted by The Endless's offer of extra time with his friends; time, he would never have with them again. With a deep breath, he leaned forward, allowing The Endless's hand to rest upon his head.

Instantly, a brilliant flash heralded the beginning of a vision. Taylor looked around curiously, finding himself deep in the woods. From nearby, he heard laughter and splashing, and he followed the sound curiously, pushing aside the foliage to reveal the pool area of The Celestial.

"No way!" Sean cried, beaming a huge grin as he laughed. "That was totally out!"

"If it hit the water, it counts!" Quinn giggled, bumping her hip against Diego's gleefully.

Taylors heart lurched, seeing his friends play volleyball in the pool, sending a colourful beach ball back and forth over the net. His breath caught, when among them, he saw himself. "Yes! That's another point!" His alternate self cheered, as Taylor staggered back, dazed at the sight. He looked down at his hands, to see one was gloved in red, and the other was skeletal steel.

"I'm... The Endless!" He choked, his eyes wide as he turned his hands over in curious disbelief. "Oh my- hey, what'd you  _do?!_  You-" his growl cut off abruptly, his fearfully racing heart calming; as he watched his friends laugh and play, their joy somehow putting him at ease. "I don't remember this... It, it really is from an alternate timeline." He murmured quietly, surprised to fins himself begrudgingly grateful to The Endless.

Just then, Sean spiked the beach ball too hard, and it bounced over to the edge of the jungle, rolling almost to Taylors feet. "My bad. I'll get it." Sean laughed, as Taylors heart lurched, and he stumbled backwards. Sean jogged over, a smile on his face as he picked up the ball. He paused, frowning as he noticed Taylor among the trees. "Who are  _you?"_  He asked, his eyes wide as he edged away cautiously.

"Sean." Taylor said, his face falling as he stared at the athlete's suspicious expression. "It's... It's  _me."_  He choked, clenching his metal hand tightly.

"... Taylor?" Sean balked, gasping as Taylor smiled weakly and took a step towards him. As he did however, reality shimmered and rippled.

"What, no,  _wait!"_  Taylor cried, gasping as he found himself standing on a snow swept mountainside. "How do you control this damn thing..?" He groused, saddened to have had his previous memory cut short.

A bellowing roar shook the pine trees, distracting Taylor from his frustration. He turned to see himself and Grace skiing down a slope nearby, with Furball perched on his alternate selfs shoulder. Furball yipped in concern, as Taylor watched himself glance back nervously. "Come on! She's gaining!" He yelled, crouching low and weaving around obstacles with a skill he was certain he should not possess.  _But how many times had we done it already before, in previous timelines_..? He wondered vaguely.

"Oh god, oh god!" Grace cried nervously, following in Taylors wake as the Yeti burst through the tree line, thundering after them.

 _ **"Raaaauugghhh!"**_  The Yeti roared, as the memory wavered, melting into a fiery vision of the rickety catwalks beneath the Observatory. Taylor watched with his heart in his throat, as Michelle barely kept her balance, as she tiptoed across a narrow catwalk.

"Almost... there..." She muttered nervously, glancing at the magma below her. With a groan, the metal platform bent towards the blazing magma.  _"Ahhhh!"_  Michelle cried, as Taylor rushed forward, determined to save her again, as he had once before.

"I've got you!" Fiddler cried, causing Taylor to stumble to a halt, as the soldier appeared from nowhere; diving towards Michelle and tackling her to safety.

"Jeanine!" Michelle gasped, panting as she gazed at Fiddler on disbelief. "You  _saved_  me!" She said, as the soldier helped her to her feet.

"Yeah, well, we're even now." She said, smirking as her glasses glinted, reflecting the fiery pit beneath them maliciously. "So, don't expect it to happen again." She said, winking as Michelle laughed quietly.

 _How in the hell did this come about?! She was a homicidal bitch_..! Taylor thought, attempting to delve deeper into the memory, only for the scene to fade away.  _No! I want to... know_! He thought, trying to wriggle back to the memory to no avail. He sighed as he was thrust into another vision, set in a room which he vaguely recognised as the Clockmakers residence in Quarr'tel.

"It is a joyous day, brothers and sisters." Uqzhaal cheered, causing Taylor to spin towards him on disbelief, finding the shaman alive and indeed joyful. "We finally have a new Clockmaker!" The old man said, as he knelt in front of the chair at the center of the workshop, a dozen Anachronists following his example. "We are yours to command, Zahra." He said, as Taylor choked in disbelief, his eyes rising to his smug friend, lounging across the chair.

"Dope." Zahra snickered, reclining as she threw a leg over the arm of the strange, throne like chair.

Taylor blinked, and the vision faded away. Before a new one presented itself to him, he became aware of the sound of fencing sabers clashing rapidly. As a scene flashed before his eyes, he saw Rourke and Aleister squaring off at the edge of a burning building, which he recognized dimly as Hartfeld.  _He must have followed us through the portal.._! Taylor thought, his eyes alight with glee as he watched Aleister drive Rourke back.

"Not bad at all!" Rourke chuckled, beaming a smug and confident grin at his pale counterpart. "Perhaps I underestimated you."

"Your observations regarding me have been summarily wrong, Father..." Aleister drawled dispassionately, lunging forward and dragging his saber across Rourke's cheek quickly, leaving a red mark in its wake. "But I'll afford you no time to regret your errors!  _En garde_!" He roared, diving forward into a furious flurry of attacks, as Taylor silently cheered him on.

He was dragged to a fresh vision, where a battle raged at the base of Elyys'tel's mighty tree. He frowned, confused as Arachnid soldiers struggled to defend the city from a horde of Vaanti.

"To me, warriors!" Ximaedra cried, raising a withered arm over her head as she led her people into battle. "Let us slay the Hydra and Spider, and reclaim our home!"

Taylor choked, taking a step back as he saw The Omega Mech stride across the beach, charging its weapons; as Estela glared out from the cockpit. "Let's  _do_  this..." She growled, as the vision began to swirl, drawing Taylor high above the fray.

He grabbed a bridge railing to steady himself, as a deep sweep of vertigo rushed through him suddenly. He blinked and caught his breath, his heart lurching as he watched Tetra toss Rourke's lifeless body from the branches outside the throne room. The giant, half mechanical man spat over the rail after Rourke, before turning and striding back towards the audience hall. "They're getting close, boss." Tetra said as he entered the chamber, as a cigar smoldered, lighting the face of the man slumped lazily across the throne.

"Let 'em come." Lundgren sneered, his shadowed silhouette rising slowly, as the man sat straight and drew a deep drag of his cigar. "And when they do, we'll burn this damned tree to the ground, with them inside it."

Taylor rubbed his head as the scene changed around him once more, revealing his friends in Rourke's cloning lab. Strapped to a surgical table, in steel restraints was Gurgi, his terrified wails forcing them all to cover their ears and scowl at him.

"Help!" He pleaded urgently, his angry frog mask revealing terrified golden eyes beneath it. "You must help Gurgi!"

"Come on," Raj said sympathetically, stepping up to a control panel thoughtfully. "There's gotta be a way to-"

"I'm sorry, Raj." Iris said blankly, appearing on her pedestal across the room. "I can't let you do that."

"Whoa!" Raj exclaimed, backing away as his eyes widened nervously. "Who the hell are you?  _And how'd you know my name?!"_

 _This must be a timeline where we never found Iris_... Taylor thought, shaking his head sadly as the A.I. prepared the defensive weapons in the lab, just as the vision morphed once more into another.  _Okay, I'm getting motion sickness here! Will you calm it down_?! He thought scathingly, hoping The Endless could hear him.

"Taari," Quinn called, her eyes soft as she crouched before the small boy, and hugged her knees. "Where'd you get that necklace?" She asked curiously.

The Vaanti child showed off the golden key, hanging from his neck. "I found it!" He giggled, beaming at Quinn fondly. "Do you like it?" He asked eagerly, as Quinn leaned closer, narrowing her eyes as she examined it closely. Taylor peered over her shoulder, to see a rune, shaped like a dolphin engraved into the side.

With a flash the scene around him changed again, and Taylor was about to sigh in frustration, when his eyes widened in shock instead _. But, she was... How- oh... She rigged the hanger before we left._.. He thought, his heart sinking as he watched Lila sigh remorsefully.

"I hate to tamper with private property... but, I have a job to do." She said, setting a trail of gasoline alight, and watching as Jake's plane was soon engulfed in fire. "There. That should keep them from leaving..." She hummed, shrugging her shoulders dismissively, as she turned and hurried back towards The Celestial.

Taylors heart ached for his pilots loss, knowing how hard the planes sabotage had hit him. He closed his eyes sadly, and when he opened them again, it was to find himself in the ballroom of The Celestial.

"Come on... Where is it?" Estela growled, and Taylor turned to see the dark haired girl flipping open a pocket knife and slashing a painting of a sailboat, before reaching behind the canvas with a frown. "Found you." She said smugly, taking out a folded note and quickly reading it.

Taylor started, recognizing the scene from when he'd spied on her from the camera's in the emergency shelters underground tunnels. "This handwriting. It's-" Estela gasped, a hand covering her mouth as her eyes widened and watered. Taylor frowned, walking around his friend to look at the letter for himself.

_L, There's a second Omega Specimen. Whatever it takes, we have to make sure Rourke doesn't get his hands on him. -O_

Taylor felt his gut churn in discomfort, when he saw a photo clipped to the letter; of himself.  _Did everyone know what I was all along, or, what I would be..? How could Estela's mom have ever known about me? Least of all before I even.._. His thoughts trailed off, his heart aching painfully as he thought of his origins. _I guess Estela did say she was working on La Huerta... There's so many tine anomalies here, hell for all I know she knew exactly how everything was going to end._

"He won't, Mom." Estela said quietly, gripping the note tightly in her hand, as she gazed at the photo of Taylor; distracting him from his confused thoughts. "I promise."

Taylor felt a jab of betrayal in his heart, choking as he took a step back from the dark haired girl. "Estela..." He whispered in disbelief, shaking his head as he ran his eyes over her uncertainly. "Did you know, all along..? Why Rourke-"

The troubling vision faded away, replaced by a rusty taco truck, rumbling down a ruined jungle road with Jake at the wheel.  _What in the world_?! Taylor gasped, his eyes widening as he unconsciously began to laugh in disbelief.  _Oh my god, where the hell did he find **that?!**_

"I've got it...  _I've got it_!" Jake assured, as he bounced around in his seat, his eyes wide as he steered the ominously jittering truck.

Taylor snorted, laughing joyfully as he watched his pilot determinedly babble about how he was in control; when he clearly was not.  _Oh please, come on; how can you expect me to not wanna know how this came about?!_  He thought petulantly, shaking his head fondly, as Jake directed the truck through the Valley of Tombs.

"You're gonna get us killed!" Mike yelped, his eyes wide as he held onto the dashboard as if his life depended on it.  _"Again!"_  He cried, sobering Taylor as the soldiers words registered in his mind.

 _Is that just a reference to Lundgren betraying them? Or was he aware of the different timelines_..? He wondered urgently, willing himself closer to the truck, as it lumbered over the bumpy tracks.

"We'll be  _fine."_  Jake said confidently, as Taylor frowned, desperately trying to work out when the vision had taken place; if there had been some way to free Mike sooner than they had, or if it had happened later, in his most recent, previous life. "Ain't that right, Sebastian?" Jake called loudly over his shoulder, drawing Taylors attention from his thoughts, as he caught sight of the Shore Guardian, being dragged unceremoniously along behind the truck.

Taylor desperately tried to stay with the vision as it began to fade, fighting to see more of the lifetime; but he found himself ultimately overwhelmed, dragged into the  **MASADA**  complex, where he was greeted with his own shocked expression. "Hold on, so you're telling me-" he watched himself choke, his wide eyes darting between two other people.

"For the love of..." The petite blonde snarled, folding her arms over her chest imperiously, as she sneered at him. "Taylor, we've discussed this protractedly. _I'm Aleister."_

"And...  _you're-"_  Taylor watched himself choke, turning towards the pale boy beside the angry blonde incredulously.

"Michelle." The pale boy sighed, his hands on his hips, as he canted his weight to his left leg. "Can you  _please_  just get us out of this nightmare?!" He pleaded desperately, as their version of Taylor covered his mouth with his hand to try and hide the wide grin forming.

"What surprises me most, is that Rourke literally labeled this machine, 'Freaky Friday Device'." Grace hummed thoughtfully, eyeing the device without daring to quite touch it, as the version of Taylor beside her snorted, his amusement too strong for him to contain.

"Its his favourite movie..." Aleister admitted, glancing down at Michelle's body and blushing, before quickly looking away again as the vision faded from view.

"Uh, guys..." Raj called uncertainly, as Rosencraft Estate materialized before Taylors eyes. " _Why is Furball purple_?!" He demanded suddenly, pointing at Furball nervously.

 _"Mrrp?"_  Furball chirped, cocking his small head curiously. The little fox's fur was indeed purple in the timeline, and Taylor recalled his vision from the Observatory.

 _But he was already purple in that... This makes it seem like he changed. Maybe, while he was with the Yeti? If he was_... He wondered briefly, before the scene changed again; transporting Taylor to the deck of the Dorado, amid a violently raging storm.

"How did he even get  _up_  there?" Sean asked, his eyes wide as he gazed out to sea in disbelief.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Diego choked, following Sean's line of sight across the churning waves.

"Ugh, just like Malatesta..." Yvonne scoffed, scowling as she folded her arms over her chest and glared across the open water beside them. "The fool never understands when it's time to let go!"

Taylor followed their gazes, snorting as he watched Cetus break the sea's surface, with Malatesta riding atop the beasts head. "Will one of you bloody fools  _do something_?!" The pirate captain spluttered, holding on desperately, as Cetus roared in outrage.

Taylor chuckled, as the stormy scene melted into a frozen one; a figure levitating over the cracking ice, blazing with time energy.

"Run!" Tetra yelled, backing away as Taylor stepped forward, frowning in confusion. "That freaks gonna kill us all!" The soldier yelped, turning to flee with his men.

 _"Chyeah-heh-heh-boi!"_  Craig snickered, beaming a huge grin as he floated after the soldiers, toying with them as he forced them to retreat.

 _But, that would mean he was the one who was sick... That Quinn was fine_. Taylor thought, his hand balling as he watched his friend enjoy himself. _Which would mean it was never an accident they were-_  his thought cut off abruptly, as he was shown another vision; one which froze his blood, and broke what remained of his already tattered heart.

"I knew you'd come around eventually." Lundgren sneered smugly, tapping his foot against Rourke's desk, as he reclined in the mans office chair regally. "Welcome back...  _Wolf."_

"What can I do for you, Commander?" Jake asked blankly, his expression devoid of emotion as he stared ahead emptily.

Taylor tried to cling to the memory, desperate to know how such pain had afflicted his pilot, that it had driven him back to the man he hated so much; but The Endless's memories writhed beneath his grasp, thrusting him relentlessly towards another.

Aleister fell through the Lernaean Gate portal, carrying Grace's burnt and lifeless body. "This is your fault..." The pale boy gasped, lowering the dark skinned girl to the floor gently.

"Aleister, I'm so sorry..." Quinn whispered, her hands covering her mouth as she cried silent tears of mourning. "It was an accident."

"Poor Grace." Diego choked, his expression falling as he beheld the girls injuries sadly.

"Her blood is on all of you..." Aleister snarled, gently stroking Grace's cheek as he looked up at them with a hateful scowl. "And now your own will be too!" He roared, drawing a snake hilted knife, and lunging towards them all, just as the vision melted away to another.

Taylor blinked in disorientation, his eyes settling on Varyyn; alone on the shore. The Vaanti was weeping, as he cradled a familiar, fluorescent coloured seashell to his ear. A voice echoed faintly in the shell, a voice from long ago.

"I'll always love you, Varyyn..." Diego whispered through the shell, endlessly repeating himself as Varyyn stared vacantly into the horizon. Soon, the echo began to grow dim, fading away, until finally; it was gone forever.

Taylor drew in a deep shuddering breath, as he was transported to another scene, where Craig dangled over the side of a sheer cliff, hanging onto Sean's hand.

"I've got you!" Sean roared, his expression hard, as he gazed down at his friend determinedly. "I can pull you up!"

"Bro..." Craig sighed dejectedly, his face falling knowingly. "I'll just pull you over with me." He said, reaching for Sean's hand with his free one.

"Craig,  _no!"_  Sean cried vehemently, straining to pul Craig back over the cliff face.

"Face it, Sean." Craig said, shaking his head as he looked up at his friend. "I've been pulling you down my whole life... I'm  _done."_  He said, pulling Sean's hand from his own and releasing his hold, plummeting hundreds of feet to the ground.

 _"No!"_  Sean yelled desperately, watching Craig fall; as Taylors heart broke for his friends all over again.

He frowned as the scene around him bled into an unfamiliar restaurant, somewhere in The Celestial; from the fiery view outside the window. He felt a fierce atab of hatred, as he caught sight of Rourke, cutting a thick slice from a juicy steak, and twirling it on his fork.

"I must say," he sighed, his smug grin almost wistful, as he looked across the table. "It's lovely to finally have a family dinner together."

Taylor balked, as opposite Rourke; sat Estela. The dark haired girl was perfectly still, her eyes blank as she stared unseeingly through Rourke. At her temple, an electronic device pulsed with light. "Wouldn't you agree, my dear?" Rourke asked lightly, a maliciously sadistic gleam in his eye, as he beamed at his daughter.

"Yes, Father." Estela said robotically, emotionless save for the briefest flicker of pain which crossed her brow.

Taylor shivered, closing his eyes tight against the sight. When he reopened them, it was to see Taari racing across the sand of a beach, the child throwing his arms around Aleister's legs. "I love you, Uncle Al!" He giggled joyfully, as Aleister's eyes widened in surprise.

"I, er..." He balked briefly, before his expression softened into a proud smile. "I love you too, Taari." He said gently, picking the small boy up into his arms and holding him tightly, as the scene faded away.

The broken pieces of Taylors heart fluttered in his chest, to see their gentle affection. He found a new scene forming around him, and he turned to see an arcade machine; the very one he'd beat in Rourke's game room at The Celestial. The machine flashed 'High Score' while Craig hoisted Diego onto his shoulders and carried him around.

"Ha ha!" The jock cheered, as Diego hung onto his shoulders for dear life. "My boy Diego just crushed the all time leaderboard!"

"Aw, yes!" Zajra cheered, leaning closer to the machine with a wide grin. "Billy Mitchell who?" She asked, as Diego laughed and waved an arm experimentally, his short hair, clean shaven face and clean shirt almost seeming out of place.

"Couldn't have done it without you guys!" He cheered joyously, as Taylor smiled, revelling in his friends happiness.

He sighed as the scene melted into another, where Grace sniffed om the rooftop of the Elysian Lodge, where they'd spent their only New Years celebration together. A tear rolled down her cheek, which Michelle gently wiped away, as she sat beside the dark skinned girl.

"I don't think you're timid at all." The blonde said gently, as she gazed at Grace with a thoughtful smile. "In fact, you're probably the  _bravest_  person I've ever met."

Grace sniffed, peeking up at Michelle uncertainly. "... Really?" She asked, wiing her eyes with her hand, as her lips twitched into a tentative smile.

 _"Really."_  Michelle said, nudging the other girls arm playfully, as they both giggled softly.

Taylor felt his tattered heart flutter, as the scene blended into another; his pilot pulling the slide on a pistol. "You  _seriously_  think I'd let you go it alone?" He growled, scowling as he punched Sean in the arm. "I told you. I've got your back for life."

"I know, Jake." Sean said, huffing a small laugh, as Taylor felt a distinct and entirely irrational prickle of jealousy in his gut. "And you know I've got yours." He said, as he and Jake embraced, clapping each other on the back in a display of masculine affection.

Taylor bit his lip, irritated that the scene could inspire such an intense surge of jealousy to rise in him. He watched as Jake drew back with a cough, scratching his neck as he scowled at Sean. "But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll kill you myself.  _Especially-"_  he said, as the scene faded, and Taylor shook his head, amused and annoyed in equal parts by the memory.

Taylor watched a fresh memory unfold, where he saw himself raise a glass; surrounded by the joyful faces of his friends. "So this toast... Is to all of you." His alternate self said, raising his sunglasses and sitting then atop his head, as he beamed around at everyone. "You're like family to me, and more than that, you're the best family I could ever hope for!" He said, and Taylor felt his eyes sting; the sentiment he'd shared with his friends still just as true in his current timeline.

He swallowed, blinking as a new memory blended itself into being before his eyes. He saw Sean lift Michelle in his arms, spinning her around joyfully. "I can't believe I ever let you slip away." He sighed, as Michelle cried and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"I can't believe I ever watched you go..." She sobbed softly, burying her face in the side of his throat.

"Never again." The athlete promised, drawing her face out of hiding to kiss her brow lightly. "I'm yours. And you're mine." He said firmly, dipping to kiss her fully, as they were framed in the beach by the sunset.

Taylor found himself whisked away to the Mayan ruins where they'd first met Kele, where his eyes fell upon Quinn. "Like this?" The redhead asked, fretting a chord on the World War Two soldiers guitar.

"You're a natural." Kele said gently, his dark fingers brushing a loose strand of her braid from her face. He smiled at her softly, his dimples showing, as she blushed and bit her lip. "So, what makes you wanna learn guitar, anyway?" He asked, clearing his throat as he tried to focus on the lesson.

"Well, because..." Quinn said lightly, smiling at him brightly. "I want to write a song for you!" She said, flushing as Kele's smile widened, and he leaned forward yo kiss her gently.

And then Taylor felt each tiny slither of his broken heart tremble, as amid the chaos and the possibility, the millions of different choices to be made; one moment happened over, and over again.

He drew in a ragged breath, as he watched Jake, his cerulean eyes soft and gentle as he gazed at various alternative versions of himself; whispering, shouting, crying, proclaiming, declaring, screaming the same words through all the various situations they'd been through.

 _"I love you, Taylor_." The pilot repeated, two thousand different ways, as Taylor choked and was unable to keep himself from weeping. His chest ached for every scenario, every blissful moment they'd shared across time and throughout their various lives.

"And I love  _you,_  Jake..." He whispered brokenly, his throat stinging as a tight lump wedged itself within, making it difficult for him to catch his breath.

Tears filled his eyes and flooded over his cheeks, as in the space of a single moment; he watched himself fall in love with Jake, two thousand times over.  _And yet, we never handfasted before_... He realised, as his lives with the pilot began to flicker and fade before his eyes.  _He was never ready before. I guess it's typical... Right when he's finally ready for it, I have to take it away_. He thought, his joy turning to ash, as he understood the depth of everything he'd be giving up. He choked, a grieved cry escaping him, as he found himself back in the cavern with The Endless's hand on his forehead. He sobbed, pulling away from the elderly version of himself.

"Are you...  _sad?"_  The Endless asked uncertainly, seeming genuinely distressed by Taylors reaction.

"How in the  _hell_  can you even ask me that, you...  _bastard."_  Taylor choked, fiercely scrubbing his eyes with his hands, though the his tears refused to stop falling. "You... you, and Vaanu...  _The pair of you! Y_ ou do nothing but lie and manipulate! You do nothing but try and push people to do things your way!" He spat, hiccupping through his grief as he thought of everything he'd be stealing from his friends, from his pilot.

"You show me  _that!"_  Taylor yelled, glaring hatefully through his tears, as The Endless stared at him in wide eyed shock. "...  _Knowing_   _full well_  what I have to do." He said, his voice breaking as he tried to stifle another sob. "What  _you_  should have done." He weakly accused, as The Endless's eyes flashed with guilt.

"Taylor, the opportunity never presented itself to me..." The Endless said quietly, shaking his head as he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head toward Taylor. "You've... spoken, with Vaanu? You know-"

"I know exactly what I-  _we,_  are." Taylor spat in disgust, looking down at his own hands sadly, as they curled into tight balls. "I know that if you hadn't been so stuck on imprisoning them on the island for the rest of their lives, you could have given yourself to Vaanu; and I _wouldn't have to do this_!" He cried, his tearful scowl returning to The Endless. "I wouldn't have to be the one, who has to look them in the eye and tell them I was never real! That every memory they have of me is nothing but a fake! A sham!" He roared, kicking at various rocks on the ground until his fury had abated somewhat, leaving a sad melancholic sense of resignation in its place. "... I wouldn't have to be the one, who has to look at Jake, and tell him that our handfasting was nothing but a lie." He whispered brokenly, shaking his head tiredly.

"You've wandered through time plenty enough that you could have completed the Heart. You could have returned... I'd have just, faded away, and they'd have thought i just died... but they'd have carried on with their lives... Your suit would've prevented a paradox, and you damn well know it. But you  _chose_  not to." He said, swallowing heavily as he tried to salvage his resolve.

"Taylor, returning to Vaanu would mean erasing yourself; if you preserve the island-" The Endless tried to reason, clawing his way forward urgently.

"You  _had_  your chance." Taylor muttered darkly, shaking his head as he stepped back. "Your sight ends, before the show is finished... You don't understand." He said, wiping away his tears. "I  _know_  what I have to do." He said determinedly, and as The Endless reached for him, Taylor felt himself be forcibly wrenched back to the present; as if his strengthening resolve had cut his ties to The Endless.

Taylor blinked, drawing in a deep trembling breath, as Rourke scoffed at their group, as Taylors friends continued to discuss remaining on the island. "I can't believe some of you would simply wall yourselves up, and consign the world to its fate." He snorted, shaking his head as he gripped the lapels of his jacket and scowled at them. "Think for a moment of those-  _Hrk!"_

Estela's fist suddenly collided with Rourke's jaw, and he stumbled back a step, as she stood tensely before him.  _"You_  have nothing to tell  _anyone_  about selfishness!" She snarled viciously, panting heavily as she noticeably restrained herself. "And in my family, we don't tolerate hypocrites."

"Rourke you get  _no_  say in anything these guys decide," Taylor said quietly, his fingers curling into Jake's jacket longingly, as he stared at the rings above his tags.  _Though really, neither do they at this point..._  He thought, though he allowed them to think they did. "You brought all of this about. You can't complain with how they decide to deal with your mess." He sighed, leaning forward to try and take comfort from Jake's firm embrace, but the pilots tightening hold on him only served to make his wounds sting more viciously.

Sean shook his head thoughtfully, sighing heavily as he weighed the options. "It's almost impossible to decide this... but," the athlete said, pausing as he glanced at Jake guiltily. "It sounds like Rourke's way is for the best, Taylor."

 _"What?!"_  Jake balked, turning to the athlete with wide eyes. "How can ya bloody  _say_  that? You know there's gotta be a catch in that deal!" He cried, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I guess... We should vote?" Diego suggested, scratching his neck awkwardly. "See who wants to stay, who wants to go... And go from there. What d'you think, Taylor?"

"He doesn't get to vote." Jake said quickly, scowling when Diego looked at him in surprise. "He always chooses the stupidest thing; as his husband, I claim veto over his vote. That means its at least two to stay already."

"Jake..." Taylor sighed, finally raising his eyes to the pilots, causing him to frown when he sensed the emotional turmoil roiling within them. "Stop being an ass. Just... gimme a minute." He said, gently breaking free of the pilots arms. "I promise not to do anything, just... I need a second." He said, as his heart lurched painfully, his head pulsing faintly as he took a few steps away from the group. He sucked in a ragged breath, looking out at the cosmos, as it swirled around the rooftop.

"Somewhere out there..." He mumbled beneath his breath, his eyes gazing emptily through the tormented sky. "Is the world I saw in Vaanu's vision." He muttered, recalling the crystal planet vividly as his eyes stung, and his throat constricted. _More than anything, I wish it wasn't true... That I could stay. But this is the only way. I have to return to Vaanu, to give myself back and complete the Heart, so Vaanu can finally get the hell off of Earth._.. He thought, his hand clenching into a tight ball as his gaze hardened.  _But that doesn't mean I have to make it easy for the bastard, or that I can't force them to make some adjustments, before we go_. He thought, exhaling deeply as he stared at the swirling vortex in rising determination _. I'll be gone, but they'll be okay. They'll have their real families, and the rest of the world back. And okay, they'll forget. But I won't. And once the timelines have been repaired, and merged for good... I can remember them, and know they'll finally get their happy ever afters_. He thought, imagining his friends frightened and weary faces, solidifying his decision in his mind and in the tattered ruins of his heart.

Taylor pulled himself from his thoughts with a deep sigh, blinking as a weight settled over his feet. He looked down to see Furball eyeing him worriedly, and he crouched down with a soft smile. "Don't worry fella... It's for the best." He whispered, scratching behind his ears fondly as Furball whined and licked his fingers sadly. "Heh, I'll miss you too buddy." He huffed quietly, rising to his feet only for his heart to stop, as Jake walked over and took his hand gently.

"Taylor..." The pilot said thickly, his eyes clouded with concern and fear. "Please... I  _know_  that look." He said quietly, his voice breaking, as Taylor tried to hold back the tears which wanted to fill his eyes. "That look in your eyes, the one which never fails to scare the living crap outta me... It's that look; which always tells me, I might be about to lose you."

"Jake..." He sighed, squeezing Jake's hand as he lowered his eyes and shook his head forlornly. "You don't understand, I'm not what you thin-" Taylor began, the pulse in the back of his mind growing stronger as he tried to hold back his grief.

"Taylor, whatever it is; _I don't care_." Jake implored, his hands cupping Taylors face as he forced him to raise his tormented eyes to the pilots. "You heard 'em... We can stay here;  _together._  Please, don't... whatever it is your thinking, don't."

Taylor paused, licking his lips briefly as he steeled himself. "Jake..." He said, feeling the words well in his throat. He swallowed hard, and ignored the pilots frown, as he tried his hardest to fight past the tightness in his throat. "I... I c-can complete The Islands Heart." He choked, his fingers clenching in the pilots jacket sleeve, as the broken shards of his heart each screamed their own denial at him. "I have to give myself to it; and then, the world will go back to normal."

"Why do I sense the biggest catch connected to this?" Jake asked, clutching at Taylor urgently, his gaze suspicious as he looked down at him nervously.

"But... Vaanu will be gone forever afterwards." Taylor said slowly, his dark blue eyes watering as he watched his pilots face fall in dawning realisation. "And so will I."

Jake's eyes overflowed with anguish, and he shook his head vehemently as he drew Taylor into a tight embrace. "No... Dammit, Taylor,  _no!"_  He said, his voice rising as he refused the possibility. "You can't  _seriously_  think I'd  _let_  ya do this?! Ya can't seriously believe  _any_  of us would?!" He cried, gesturing towards the others and drawing their attention as Jake grew more irate, and Taylor attempted to reason with him.

"Jake, I don't have a choice anymore..." Taylor pleaded, weeping freely as the pulse in the back of his mind increased; joined by the swell of emotions churning in his gut, as Jake refused to listen to his pleas. "Please, you have to-"

"I don't have to do  _anythin'_  but keep you here with me!" Jake insisted, his gaze intent as it pierced through the remains of Taylors bleeding heart.

"Jake,  _please-"_  Taylor pleaded, his agony plain to see as the others began to exchange nervous glances behind them.

"What's going on?" Diego asked, frowning as he led the others over cautiously, though his question went unanswered, as Jake held Taylor tightly.

"Don't you think I'd follow you anywhere?" The pilot demanded, his voice hoarse with emotion as he stared down at Taylor brokenly. "Anywhere you go, I'd come after you! Don't... Don't go where I can't follow...  _Please,_  Taylor, I'm beggin' ya here..."

"... Grandpa?" Mike called uncertainly, only to be ignored as Diego was, as the argument escalated.

"Jake, you don't understand!" Taylor choked, shaking his head in despair, as the pulse in his head began to spike, pain lancing through him as he gasped and wept. "I  _have_  to-"

"No, you  _don't."_  Jake insisted firmly, shaking his head as he knocked his forehead to Taylors desperately. "You  _don't!"_  He repeated fiercely, closing the gap between them and kissing Taylor determinedly. Taylor arched and gasped, crying out in heartache as his grief spiralled, the pulse in his head becoming an all out throb.  _"My_  heart is where you belong," Jake whispered, his lips brushing over Taylors as he finally drew back.  _"Not_  Vaanu's."

 _"Jake-"_  Taylor cried, burying his face in the pilots jacket as Jake held him with a fierce passion, clearly content to never release him. "... Do you think I  _want_  this?" He whispered brokenly, shaking his head as he sobbed and drew back, meeting the pilots tormented gaze with his own agonized expression. "I would give  _anything..._  To stay here with you, forever. You, all of you... You mean the world to me." He choked, his lip trembling as he lowered his gaze to the rings on Jake's tags.

"Then  _do_  it." Jake pleaded, shaking Taylors shoulders gently in his desperation. "Do it Taylor, stay here with me. We can make a life, we can-"

"We can't." Taylor said quietly, closing his eyes as he felt the throb in his heart and mind surge through him.

"We  _can,_  Taylor, I promise.." Jake pleaded desperately, as their friends gathered behind him, watching Taylor fearfully. "Please, Taylor, we can do this-"

"No, we  _can't!"_  Taylor insisted, panting heavily as his hands curled into fists against the pilot's chest, finally raising his eyes back to Jake's.  _"We can't_ ,  _okay?!"_  He cried, jerking himself free of the pilots hold, as Jake stared at him in shocked disbelief. "You don't understand, I keep  _trying_  to tell you!" He gasped, running his hands through his hair as he felt his panic and grief merge, swelling in his chest like the throbbing from the back of his mind; converging to a jumbled rush of emotion which pulsed deep within his heart. "You never listen, you never  _damn well listen!"_  He muttered, shaking his head as he quickly darted back, flinching away from the pilot and his friends as they reached for him. "Don't you think I  _want_  to stay?! Don't you think if I  _could,_  I  _would?!"_

"Taylor, please, you're kinda freakin' me out here dude..." Diego said worriedly, as Taylor choked and spun around quickly, trying to escape the concerned gazes of his friends as he fought with the overwhelming emotions which tried to consume him.

"You think  _you're_  freaked out..." Taylor huffed, scrubbing his hands over his face as Jake stepped towards him. "Please, don't-" he pleaded, as he shook his head desperately, trembling with grief.  _"You'll_  have a  _life_  after this, you'll be  _together,_  with everyone you ever loved!"

"I love  _you,_  Taylor!" Jake growled, scowling as Taylor cringed and curled in on himself, when Jake grabbed for his hand.  _"Please,_  stay with me-"

"I  _can't!"_  Taylor cried, his face a mask of agony as a collective gasp of shock ran through the group, while Jake shook his head firmly. "If I choose to save you over the world and everyone in it, you'll hate me for it!" He choked, gasping for breath as the pulse within him flared, his emotions a cyclone in the remains of his tattered heart.

"Taylor, that  _ain't_  gonna happen..." Jake assured, his eyes widening in disbelief. "I promise, Taylor, it ain't ever-"

 _"It already did_!" Taylor choked brokenly, his cries echoing through the group, as the pulse within him became a deep needle like ache; swirling into an unforgiving storm which finally broke free.  _"Aah-aaargh!"_  He cried in agony, as a familiar shockwave of blue-green energy erupted from his body, consuming Taylor; his friends, and what little remained of the world.


	15. Everything We Left Behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... hi!
> 
> Mkay, so... i hope this is okay. I am beyond nervous about it... and i THINK the next chapter will be the last but it depends because if it gets to around 10k or so i think i may possibly have 2 more...
> 
> But anyway... i hipe this conveys everything i was hoping for it to. I hope its as much a ride for you as it was for me! Im so so broken right now, im gonna go cry a bit and then start the next chapter...
> 
> So... i hope you enjoy!
> 
> x My love to you all x

_You don't understand! None of you understand! What you ask of me... You'll never forgive me!_

**15.**

**Everything We Left Behind**.

Taylor gasped, swallowing heavily as he shook his head and blinked heavily. His expression slowly morphed into a scowl, as he looked up to see Rourke slowly cross The Celestial rooftop toward him. "Taylor, I know what you are..." The man said quietly enough that his friends wouldn't overhear them. Taylors eyes darted to then nervously, backing away from the smirking man. "I know you were cheated out of a normal life. If you see Project Janus through, you'll be able to make  _real_  memories with those you care about." He said, raising his voice slightly as Taylor bit his lip, his heart clenching at the thought that he could be given the life he'd once thought he had. "Whatever you may feel about my methods, draining the Heart, is the only means of staying with your friends  _and_  restoring the world." He implored, stalking away to the bar, as Aleister's cold gaze followed him.

"A gamble at best." The pale boy insisted, sneering at his father distastefully. "We know what we're getting into if we reverse the energy and stay on La Huerta, Taylor." Aleister said, his gaze softening as he looked over at him beseechingly. "We've dome well enough for ourselves here, and can do better still. I believe this is where we're meant to be."

 _Or, I could give myself to the Heart, and allow Vaanu to leave, taking all the time anomalies it created with it_... Taylor thought to himself, swallowing heavily as he shivered nervously. With his heart heavy and his head feeling from the immensity of the decision before him, Taylor slowly approached the pillar of crystal. "Time is a continuum of inevitably..." He murmured, biting his lip to glance over his shoulder briefly, his eyes meeting Jake's pained gaze. _I can't risk letting Rourke turn the world into his play toy. And_... His breath hitched, and he worried his lip as he faced forward again, his eyes welling with tears _. I don't want to give this life up_! He gasped, swallowing down his fear as he made his decision. "We're not going anywhere, Rourke." He said firmly, pressing one hand on the crystal pillar, as he extended the other towards the Omega Mech. "I'm giving the energy back to Vaanu!" He said determinedly, scowling in concentration as he focused on the crystal.

"No!" Rourke gasped, launching forward, only for Taylors friends to immediately surround him, protecting him from the conniving man.

"Try it, Phony Stark." Jake growled, his hand on Taylors shoulder, as he glared at Rourke hatefully. "I  _dare_  ya."

"Taylor, you idiot!" Rourke cried incredulously, his eyes wide as Taylors friends converged around him, preventing Rourke from reaching him. "You're making a terrible mistake!"

"Judging by your reaction alone, I'd say Taylors chosen perfectly." Aleister drawled calmly, as Rourke seethed with rage, while streams of shimmering light emerged from the Mech.

"I won't tolerate this..." Rourke growled, barreling through everyone and throwing himself at Taylor.

"No! Taylor!" Michelle cried, gasping in horror, as before anyone could reach them; Rourke hooked an arm around Taylors body, a s pressed a blade against his throat.

"Boy Scout!" Jake cried, his eyes consumed by terror, as he stared at the blade Rourke pressed to Taylors throat.

 _"Hrk!"_  Taylor choked, his eyes widening as he staggered backwards, as Rourke held him at an awkward angle.

"You will fix this, Taylor." Rourke demanded coldly, a malicious gleam in his eye. "Once, and for all."

"This isn't going to pan out Rourke!" Sean growled, glaring at Rourke fiercely. "Think about what you're doing!"

Rourke pulled Taylor away from his friends, until they both reached the railing at the edge of the roof. "Okay, Rourke..!" Taylor cried suddenly, his expression hardening as Rourke paused. "I'll fix it." He promised quietly.

Rourke sighed in relief, relaxing slightly, allowing Taylor to knock the weapon from his hand, and shove him over the railing.  _"Gah!"_  Rourke gasped, grabbing hold of Taylor as he fell.

 _"Ahhhh!"_  Taylor cried, tumbling over the edge with Rourke. He gasped as a terrified cry rang out above them, and seconds later, he felt another pair of hands clamp around his arm. He looked up to see Jake leaning half over the railing, his eyes wide as he they met Taylors urgently.

"Taylor, I'm here!" Jake called, his eyes turning frantic, as he held onto Taylor desperately. "Just stay with me!" He pleaded, glancing over his shoulder to see the others racing over to help.

Dangling over the edge, Taylor looked down into the dark, empty void, and shuddered. Rourke struggled to hold onto his legs, his eyes wide as he gazed up at Taylor in disbelief.  _"Why?!"_  He choked incredulously, shaking his head in confusion. "Why would you throw away everything I offered you? For  _them?!"_

"Because they're  _all_  I need." Taylor said firmly, scowling at the man clinging desperately to his legs.

Rourke's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a malicious sneer. "So, you wish to be trapped in time forever?" He snorted, his demeanor turning gleeful as he goaded Taylor. "Very well." He said, bracing himself against the wall and attempting to pull Taylor free of his friends grip.

"Taylors slipping!" Diego gasped, as Rourke laughed below them, and Taylor cried out from the pain of being pulled in two directions at once.

"No he goddamn  _ain't,_  Petey!" Jake growled, scowling down at Rourke in furious hatred. "Just keep pullin'!"

"You think they'd still be your friends, Taylor, after a hundred years have passed? After two thousand?" Rourke taunted, sneering in sadistic glee. "You think that your precious Jake, would have ever forgiven you for putting yourself ahead of his family? For letting his friend die?!" He laughed, as Taylor flinched guiltily. He grimaced, firmly pushing aside everything Rourke said, as the man tried to bait him. He reached for his friends, as he wriggled one foot free of Rourke's grasp, and raised it above his face. "... Do  _not-"_  the man began, his eyes widening as he paused mid jostle of Taylors body.

"Time's up, Rourke." Taylor said firmly, planting his foot on Rourke's shocked face with all the strength he could muster, knocking him loose. He gasped in relief, as Rourke hurtled towards the blackness below.

 _"No!"_  Rourke cried, the sound of his endless scream ending abruptly, as in a split second, he vanished into the vortex's event horizon. Simultaneously, the last of the energy returned to the pillar.

 _"Taylor!"_  Jake cried urgently, as he and the rest of Taylors friends hoisted him over the railing. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he found himself smothered by the pilot, drawn into a tight embrace as Jake finally released the fears he'd tried to contain. "Holy shit, Boy Scout, you know how to push a fella to his limits... I ain't prepared to lose my best friend and you in the same damn day."

"... Jake." Taylor sighed, nuzzling his shoulder affectionately, as he held the stiff backed pilot close. "I'm sorry for scaring you. And, for Mike... But, I'm okay now." He promised, as Jake slowly began to relax. They looked up as the pilot withdrew, to see the vortex had faded away. Thousands of stars welcomed them back to their reality, as Taylor smiled tiredly. "Burn in hell, Rourke."

"Good riddance to bad rubbish!" Grace growled ferociously, eliciting a surprised, collective laugh from the group.

"It's finally done." Estela said quietly, shaking her head in disbelief, as she wrapped her arms around herself and drew in a long, shuddering breath.

"Just as we'd always hoped..." Varyyn said, beaming as he gazed at the sky in awe. "Raan'losti is no more!"

"No more running for our lives." Zahra said, her eyes wide as she gazed around them all in startled realisation. "No more monsters."

"We did it!" Diego cheered, hopping in a strange mixture of what appeared to be Riverdance and a waltz. "We really  _did_  it!" He cried, throwing himself into a hug with anyone he could reach. Taylor smiled as Jake kissed him deeply, while tears and hugs flowed between their friends. As they parted, a sense of euphoric relief overwhelmed them all.

"This isn't a dream, right?" Quinn giggled, rocking on the balls of her feet, as she sat on Raj's shoulders and beamed a wide smile around them all. "This is real?"

"Real as can be, Ariel." Jake said warmly, his relief palpable, as Taylor hummed in agreement, his fingers lacing together with Jake's, as he yawned.

"So, you will stay with us, then?" Varyyn beamed joyfully, his golden eyes glowing as he looked around them all fondly. "Here, upon the island?"

"This is our home..." Taylor said, yawning again before continuing on in a faint him, as he leaned against Jake's side. "Now, and forever." He said, smiling softly, as his friends all shared a high five. Taylors eyes closed as he watched his friends laugh and exchange excited ideas for what to do with the rest of their lives. He felt a weight drop from his shoulders, and before he knew it, the world was slipping from beneath his feet.

When he next managed to slowly peel his eyes open, it was to sunlight streaming into his old suite.  _Did I.._? He wondered, the thought cutting off as Jake's arms enfolded him, the pilots peaceful face pressed into his chest. His heart melted, affection swarming him as he watched the pilot sleep, warmth and devotion blooming in his chest. He gently raised his fingers to Jake's hair, brushing the strands covering his face aside.  _Hmm, well there's a sight I can happily wake up to more often._  He thought, a soft smile curling his lips.

"Morning, sleepyhead..." He called softly, his fingers gently sweeping aside his hair again as the pilot glanced up, his eyes slowly blinking open.

"Says the guy I had to carry to bed last night, because he passed out." Jake snorted, grinning mischievously as he stretched and gently kissed Taylors chest. "For all you know this could still be the middle of the night..."

"Well, that explains the lack of clothes then." Taylor chuckled playfully, as Jake snickered and winked at him unashamedly. "But I am pretty confident in my, rough guess... that it is in fact morning."

"Does it have to be..." Jake teased, smirking up at him as his lips brushed over Taylors ribs, causing him to shiver.

"I don't think we actually get a say in what constitutes morning." Taylor giggled, biting his lip as he squirmed beneath Jake's hand, as it wandered absently across his shoulder. "The sun has us beat there."

"Hmm, does it, though?" Jake hummed, a broad grin on his face as he finally rolled on top of Taylor, showering his face and neck with slow, adoring kisses. "Day doesn't start until we get out of bed, far as I'm concerned." He drawled, his teeth grazing over Taylors ear gently. "And... I'm not ready to leave this bed with you." He husked, rocking against Taylor gently to grind his hardening cock to Taylors.

"Hmm, is that so..?" Taylor hissed, his hands gliding over the pilots shoulders gently, as Jake smirked at him and teased him by barely skimming their lips together. "Well, in that case... I could use more waking up."

"Yeah?" Jake laughed quietly, raising a brow as he pulled away slightly. "And uh, is  _this_  gonna help you..?" He asked innocently, kissing slowly down Taylors neck and chest, his hands roaming over his body.

"Ah!" Taylor gasped, arching beneath the pilots touches, his body laced with electricity and fire wherever he caressed. "Its a nice  _start..."_  He drawled, a huge grin on his face, as Jake looked up at him from beneath his lashes.

As Jake's teeth tugged playfully at Taylors underwear, something he was surprised to discover he was even wearing, one of the pilots hands slid between his legs and rocked against him. "Oh, Jake..." Taylor hissed, lifting his hips and giving the pilot a chance to whip his underwear away quickly. The pilot raised a brow, his lips teasing at Taylors hip as he whined and rocked himself into the pilots hand again; the bare flesh far more stimulated with the fabric of his underwear removed. "Keep going..!" He groaned, scowling at the pilot petulantly, when he chuckled at Taylors impatience.

"Don't have to tell  _me_  twice." Jake huffed, moving his hand away from Taylors cock as his lips drifted across his groin to his hardened shaft.

"Oh!" Taylor gasped, as Jake lowered his mouth around his cock, the pilots tongue caressing the shaft with languid strokes, as he sucked him gently. "Ah..!" He hummed, drawing his lip between his teeth to contain himself, as Jake hummed and swallowed around him. His brow furrowed lightly, as he glanced down, to watch as Jake's lips rose and fell around his cock. He shivered, his hands reaching up for the headboard, as heat coiled in his gut; his heart racing as his hips rose gently, a deep throated groan escaping him.

"Dammit, Boy Scout..." Jake murmured, withdrawing the warmth of his mouth around Taylors cock, as he kissed along Taylors stomach to his chest. "You drive me  _crazy..."_  He breathed, kissing a path over Taylors shoulder to his throat.

 _"Good_  crazy... Or  _bad_  crazy..?" Taylor murmured distractedly, arching against Jake, as the pilots cock brushed against his ass. "'Cause I have a damn good idea which one you are to me..." He huffed, craning his neck as Jake chuckled and scratched soft kisses along the newly exposed skin.

"Taylor..." Jake sighed, groaning as he pressed forward and sank into Taylor. "Aw, hell..." He choked, drawing back to press an insistent kiss to Taylors lips.

Taylor gasped and clenched himself around the pilot, revelling in the other mans sounds of pleasure, as he came undone beneath him. "Mmm..." He hummed quietly, as they melted into one another, his body singing beneath Jake's, as the pilot brushed his hands teasingly over whatever part of Taylor he could reach; clutching beneath his thigh briefly, as he pulled Taylor tighter against him.  _"Jake..!"_  Taylor cried, as the pilot rocked harder against him, filling him with a deep ache for more, as he dragged his fingers over Jake's back.

"... Taylor." The pilot groaned, claiming his lips again as he thrust deeper into him; his movements unhurried and rapturous, as he ran his hand slowly along Taylors arm, raising it over his head and lacing their fingers together gently.

 _"Mmm..!"_  Taylor moaned, his leg curling over Jake's hip and urging him closer, humming in relief when the pilot shifted and provided blissful friction for his otherwise neglected cock. Heat sprawled through him like wildfire, consuming him, as Jake caressed his body in all the ways he knew would drive him crazy.

"Jake..." Taylor breathed, as the pilot began to pepper soft, scratchy kisses along his jaw. His jaw slackened, a deep wave of pleasure rolling through him, as Jake brushed the nerves which made his body melt.

Their sighs and soft sounds of pleasure filled the suite, as they moved as one; sharing an unhurried display of affection for each other. Taylor held Jake close, his hand tangling in the pilots hair as he arched and bared his neck to him, while Jake's hand drifted over his hip to curl lightly around his cock.

"Hmm..." Jake hummed, as Taylor gasped, the swell of heat in his gut spiralling to a tight ball of desire and need. The pilot rocked deeper into him, drawing a deep throated groan from Taylor, as he simultaneously stroked his cock.

 _"Ja-aaah!"_  Taylor choked, gasping as his orgasm rolled through him lazily, his ass pulsing with his release as he clamped tightly around Jake's cock.

"Oh," Jake groaned, his teeth grazing Taylors collarbone as his body spasmed over him.  _"Taylor-!"_  He murmured, his mouth rising, sealing itself over Taylors as they shuddered and rode their peak together.

For a time neither spoke, content to trade soft kisses and affectionate touches, as they basked in the warm glow of their gentle love making. After an hour, or what could have been more for all Taylor knew or cared, he finally persuaded Jake to leave the bed, and they began getting ready for the day. "Ready to head out, Boy Scout?" Jake asked, a noticeable pout on his face as he waited by the door.

"You  _do_  know that the bed isn't going anywhere, right?" Taylor teased, kissing Jake's cheek lightly.

"Never damn well know in this place." Jake snarked, though his lips twitched with amusement.

Taylor snickered, gesturing towards the door. "After you." He said, "For some reason, I seem to be all dirty... So I'm taking a shower." He added, grinning as Jake snorted and threw him a cocky wink, as he turned to head through the door.  _This is it..._  Taylor thought giddily, biting his lip as he gazed at Jake's retreating back fondly.  _The first day of the rest of my life_. He sighed contently, moving to take what could possibly have been the swiftest shower known to man. He grabbed his jeans and a basic red shirt, pulling them on quickly.

"Time to hit the beach." He decided, smiling as he made his way to the elevator, and pressing the button for the ground floor, eagerly spilling out into the hotel lobby as soon as it arrived.

He made his way through the hotel and down the path to Colonnade Cove, where they found several of their friends enjoying the sun. "Yo, Taylor!" Craig called, waving at him from where he and Sean were teaching a group of Vaanti the rules to football, getting an oval shaped gourd.

"Hut!" Sean called with a faint grimace of concentration, faltering when none of the Vaanti moved.

"Uh..." One hedged, his eyes confused behind his elephant mask. "Now we run?" He asked, as Sean grinned softly.

"Now you run." He agreed, shooing the Vaanti into what roughly resembled a football game. With a grin, he jogged over to join them. "Wanna join?" Sean asked, arching a brow curiously, as he caught sight of Taylor approaching. "We're a player short..."

"Sure!" Taylor hummed happily, grinning broadly. "What's the plan, Cap?"

"Oh man,  _not_  you too..." Sean sighed, shaking his head as he folded his arms over his chest and feigned a scowl, while Taylor shrugged and laughed unashamedly.

"They like chasing people down, so I think we should go for a fake out." Craig said, bobbing his head as he and Sean bumped fists.

"Sure thing." Sean agreed, turning to Taylor thoughtfully and lowering his voice. "I'll pretend to give you the ball, Taylor... But instead, I'll actually run the ball around the other side."

"Sounds like a plan!" Taylor said, having no clue what the athlete had just explained, but shrugging his shoulders and rolling with it anyway. He lined up on the line of scrimmage, and sized up the opposing team as best he could with his limited football knowledge.

"Best of luck, Catalyst." Offered a green skinned female, her eyes glowing with competitiveness behind her rams mask.

"Thirty five, Moonwalk,  _hut!"_  Sean yelled, growling fiercely as the ground gourd snapped back, and Taylor ran behind Sean. He hunched over his stomach, as if guarding a ball, and several Vaanti flocked after him.

"That one!" Called a different female, the gold filigree on her elephant mask glittering in the sun. "Taylor has it!" She cried eagerly

 _"W-whoa!"_  Taylor gasped, laughing as he was quickly tackled to the sand, craning his neck to see Sean easily dodge the remaining Vaanti, to waltz into the end zone.

 _"Touchdooooown!"_  Craig cheered, whistling and clapping loudly as Taylor groaned and re-found his feet and Sean did a small victory dance, high fiving Taylor as he approached.

"Nice moves, Taylor!" The athlete praised, beaming proudly over their victory.

"Compared to yours, I'd settle for just calling them okay." Taylor laughed, shaking his head fondly as he sighed and looked around the beach. He caught a flash of a familiar green jacket smiled, about to head over to investigate, when he heard a voice call over to him.

"What's shakin', Taylor?" Kele asked, his dimples showing as he smiled widely, while strumming on his guitar. Beside him, Aleister, Grace and Diego worked tirelessly to build a huge sandcastle.

"If we place another tower there," Aleister said thoughtfully, signalling to the far left corner of the sandcastle. "The structure will begin to resemble Neuschwanstein. One of the most elegant castles ever built."

"Who said anything about an actual castle?" Diego asked, his eyes wide as he looked up at the pale boy in surprise. "This is supposed to be the Death Star!"

"Pretty nice castle... Er, Death Star." Taylor sniggered, clapping a hand on Diego's shoulder as he crouched beside him. Kele continued to play a jaunty guitar melody, as the others collaborated on the sand structure.

"Now, we just need to decide on decorative accents!" Grace cheered, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"You should use that mother of pearl Aleister found earlier." Kele suggested, peeking over at the impressive structure with a fond grin. "It'll look swell up top there."

"Aw guys, come on..." Diego cried, gesturing to the castle with both hands. "It needs defense turrets, not decorations!"

"Taylor, do you have a preference?" Aleister asked, as Diego looked up at him pleadingly.

"I'm sorry Aleister, but you try sayin' no to that face..." Taylor sighed, sniggering as he grabbed a handful of sand and smeared it over Diego's cheek. "Turrets it is, guys."

"Finally!" Diego said, laughing as he wiped sand from his beard. "Someone who understands my vision!"

Taylor snorted as he and Diego mounded small tufts of seaweed, and placed them at regular intervals along the structure, where they shone emerald against the moist sand. "No rebel fighters are getting to our exhaust port!" He sniggered, as Diego beamed over at him proudly. He jabbed his friend in the arm playfully, before catching sight of the Jake again, appearing to be sparring in the shallows. He grinned, and winked at Diego, who rolled his eyes as Taylor got up and walked over to the group.

"Nice of you to join us, Boy Scout!" Jake called as he finally spotted him from where he and Estela were in the middle of a lesson from Varyyn, on how to fight like the Vaanti.

 _"Rah!"_  Estela cried, using Jake's momentary distraction to send him crashing into the water.

"Wha-" Jake spluttered, as Taylor burst out laughing, watching his pilot scowl as he clambered up from the shallows to shake sea water from his clothes and hair like a wet dog.

"How was the shower?" Jake called pointedly, scowling when he caught Taylor laughing at him indiscreetly.

"Was great thanks, very refreshing... Though I think I got all dirty again since." Taylor grinned, utterly unaffected by the pilots teasing, as he gestured to his sand covered clothes. "How was  _yours?"_  He snickered, as Jake grumbled and shook himself again. "You could have just joined me if you wanted one, you know..."

"Thought ya wanted to get clean, not go again-" he broke off laughing, as Taylor yelped indignantly. "Heh, oh it never gets boring bein' around you, Boy Scout." He snickered, quickly ducking as Estela tried to take him by surprise again.

He watched Estela perform an elaborate routine of punches, kicks and blocks as Varyyn observed. "Hmm, too many punches..." The Elyyshar hummed thoughtfully, grinning when Estela whirled towards him in obvious outrage. "Remember, Vaanti combat is about fluidity."

"I've had just about enough  _fluidity_  for one day, Papa Smurf." Jake groused as Taylor prowled up behind him and leaned close to his ear.

"That so, Top Gun?" He teased, snickering as the pilot started, half turning as Taylor quickly hooked his leg around Jake's and swept him off his feet.

 _"Oof!"_  Jake huffed, falling to the ground in a heap as Taylor laughed gleefully. "Hey, don't go gettin' cocky." Jake snarked, grabbing Taylors leg and pushing him off balance, sending him to the floor himself.

 _"Hey!"_  Taylor laughed, sniggering as the pilot smirked at him smugly. He raised himself to his elbows, raising a brow as he grinned at the pilot coyly. "Rematch later tonight?" He asked, snickering when Jake snorted and moved to help him to his feet.

"Sure thing, Boy Scout..." He said, pulling Taylor up quickly and bracing him with an arm around his waist. "But I can guarantee I'm gonna win."

"Is it really winning, when I let you win?" Taylor stage whispered, as Jake broke out in surprised laughter. Taylor grinned, accepting a kiss as reward for his glib.

"Taylor, would you like to learn as well?" Varyyn called, interrupting their moment and drawing their attention to the Elyyshar.

"Sure..." Taylor agreed easily, grinning lopsidedly as he walked over and stripped off his shirt. "But, why are we practicing fighting, if there's nothing left to fight?" He asked curiously, as the others all paused, staring at one another warily.

"It's..." Estela hazarded uncertainly, as Jake and Varyyn snickered at her. "Better than just, bumming around on the beach all day." She said, her shoulders hunching defensively.

"A good way to exercise and keep our skills sharp." Varyyn said, eyeing Taylor critically as he approached with a grin.

"Fair enough." He huffed, taking up a rough defensive stance. "Let's dance, Varyyn." He sniggered, as the Elyyshar turned his body perpendicular to him a d assumed his own defensive stance.

"For us, hand to hand combat is not about brute strength, but enduring your enemy." The Vaanti explained, as Taylor grinned and bounced on his feet lightly. "An opening will come for you to land a perfect blow, but you must last until it does." With his instruction over, Varyyn launched himself at Taylor, aiming his fist across his right side.

Taylor quickly dodged left, smirking as he danced away from the path of the Vaanti's fist. "Good!" Varyyn praised, grinning proudly. "As Sean says 'a good offense is a good defense'!" He said, as Taylor snickered and twirled around the Elyyshar, jabbing his foot into his back and sending him to the shallows in an undignified heap.

"So does the element of surprise..." Taylor laughed, as Varyyn spluttered and raised himself from the surf.

"Also known as, Boy Scout's a sneaky cheat." Jake snorted, his gaze fond as he watched Taylor dance a shimmying jig in victory.

"Well, then we shall have to readjust our lesson." Varyyn said, quickly hopping to his feet and launching at Taylor, who laughed and ducked aside quickly.

Taylor and the others enjoyed themselves sparring, teaching, learning and playing alike; all the while avoided Taylors attempts to cut corners and sneak attack them. As the day began to wind down, they joined the rest of their friends, as everyone gathered to watch the sunset.

"So, what do you guys want to do tomorrow?" Taylor snickered, beaming around his friends as they laughed and turned to him thoughtfully.

"Catch some rays!" Craig cheered, as he and Sean high fived and laughed together.

"Make new discoveries!" Grace giggled, gazing up at Aleister as the pale boy chuckled and wrapped an arm over her shoulder.

"Take over the world!" Diego snickered, as Taylor laughed in fond affection, his heart light at the easy banter between his friends.

"Easy there, Pinky." Jake snorted, flicking a bottle cap at Diego, as he sat beside Taylor, his arms curled loosely over his knees.

"Its just good to be able to enjoy ourselves, with nothing chasing us and nothing to worry about..." Quinn sighed, beaming around them all joyfully. "I never thought my life could be so peaceful."

"Honestly," Estela huffed, grinning back in find disbelief. "Neither did I."

"Paradise  _found."_  Aleister drawled, smiling softly as he reclined slightly on the sand, allowing Grace to lean into his chest.

"Let's hear it for endless summer!" She giggled, her curls spilling over his shoulder and she nuzzled his jaw. Facing the radiant horizon, everyone looped their arms around one another, as they slowly watched the sun disappear.

A silence fell over the group, as the burning world glowed ominously in the distance, a stark reminder to the cost of their paradise. "... They're really gone, aren't they?" Sean finally voiced the thought in everyone's mind, and Taylor felt his heart thump firmly against his chest in a swift rush of guilt. "I always thought we'd find a way to save everyone. But we can't... We  _won't."_  He said thickly, and in the flickering light, Taylor could see the athlete's eyes glisten with tears.

"Sean..." He said softly, his throat tight with guilt at the obvious pain his friend was experiencing.

Sean raised his drink, gazing into the distance sadly. "Rest in peace, Momma." He said, as next to him Quinn raised her own. Taylor watched as one by one, the rest of his friends raised their glasses, his heart twisting guiltily at the tormented gazes wore as they gazed into the fiery horizon.

"Mom, dad..." Quinn said quietly, her eyes sparkling with the glassy shimmer of tears, as Kele wrapped his arm around her shoulders gently. "Goodbye."

"To Joey." Craig croaked, swallowing against the obvious lump in his throat. "I miss you... so much, buddy." He sighed slowly, as Taylor bit his lip.

 _Did I do the right thing_..? He wondered, watching his friends share their grief and longing; while having none of his own to offer.

"To my Grandma." Raj said, the large boy unusually quiet as he stared out at the stars.

"To my mom..." Grace said, looking up at Aleister longingly, as the pale boy enfolded her in his arms and gently drew her into a comforting embrace.

"... To my family." Diego said slowly, almost hesitant at first, until Varyyn took his hand and gently laid it in his lap.

"To my tio..." Estela said lowly, her usually fierce gaze filled with sadness and regret.

"To my sister..." Jake said softly, swallowing thickly as Taylor lowered his eyes, feeling like an intruder to their intimate goodbyes.

"To my future." Michelle said, her face falling as she considered all the training she'd never get to complete, and the dreams she would never be able to fulfil.

"To  _the_  future." Kele corrected her quietly, holding her hand, as Quinn hid her face in the side of his neck.

"To everything we left behind." Zahra said, shaking her head despondently, as she stared out at the blazing horizon.

"And everything that could have been." Aleister added quietly, gazing down at Grace softly.

Taylor swallowed heavily, his eyes on his lap, as they sat together in silence, while the sky darkened and the stars shimmered. Though the inferno remained miles away, the sense of all that ws consumed by it couldn't have been closer. "Taylor..." Diego said quietly, frowning over at him as Taylor slowly raised his eyes to his friends. "Do you think we made the right choice?"

"We'll be fine." Jake said dismissively, shaking away his grief as he looked away from the fiery horizon and smiled at Taylor softly. "This islands got everything we need."

Taylor found his gaze drifting over the friends by his side, and gradually, despite everything; he felt a swell of love in his heart, and a small smile creep across his face. "Yeah." He said, his voice catching as his eyes fell on Jake again. "It does." He said, his smile growing as the pilot pulled him into a tender kiss.

 _I was wrong... I was wrong to do it to you all. So selfish. So wrong! I never should have tried to keep you all_.

"You know..." Taylor hummed groggily, a small smile spreading across his face as he woke up to the sensation of lips brushing gently across his ribs. "I was under the impression you were gonna be too hungover to be this, uh,  _active_  this morning..." He snickered, as Jake peeked up at him from beneath his lashes.

"You complainin', Boy Scout?" He asked, glancing up as his fingers grazed over Taylors hip, causing him to hiss and squirm beneath the pilot.

"Just...  _mentioning."_  Taylor said quietly, his hand finding Jake's hair, as the pilot skimmed his teeth over Taylors nipple. "Mmmm..." He gasped, arching upward as Jake palmed his rapidly swelling cock. "Jake-" his moan was cut short, as Jake rose to kiss him, his tongue delving into Taylors mouth, the taste of whiskey still heavily coating the muscle.

"You're goddamn beautiful..." Jake murmured, as he drew back to catch his breath, rocking against Taylor lightly.

"Hey, you are still not forgiven for all of your disappearing acts lately!" Taylor groused, pouting at the pilot as Jake nipped his shoulder. "Don't think ambushing me first thing is gonna get you anywhere, Top Gun." He said, grinning as Jake winked at him.

"Well, you ain't exactly puttin' up a fight, Boy Scout..." He hummed kissing his way up Taylors throat slowly. "I think you're just tryin' to make me work for it..."

"Well, in that case..." Taylor hummed thoughtfully, as Jake drew back to smirk at him. "Catch me if you can!" He snickered, slipping from his hands and making a break to leave the bed.

"Oh no you don't!" Jake chuckled, catching him around the waist. In the pilots efforts to trap him in bed, they both tumbled over the side with a thud, landing on the floor in a tangle of limbs.

Taylor laughed, as Jake smiled and shook his head, leaning over him to kiss him again. "You know..." Taylor hummed, as he caught his breath between increasingly heated kisses. "We really  _should_  get up..." He offered weakly, snickering when Jake wrapped his arms around him and tugged him into the pilots lap.

"I am  _up..."_  The pilot drawled dryly, smirking as Taylor gasped, clutching the pilots shoulders and biting his lip, as Jake's hard cock pressed hotly against his ass.

"Jake..!" Taylor breathed, his nails dragging over the pilots shoulders, as he surged forward and kissed him deeply, forgetting the strong taste of whiskey as his heart raced and his body flushed with heat.

"Mmm..." Jake groaned, his hands squeezing Taylors ass as he rolled his hips against him, his tongue thrusting against Taylors eagerly. Taylor gasped as the pilot scooped him into his arms, securing his legs around his waist, as Jake carried him to the tree in his room, his back colliding with the rough bark and causing him to hiss at the friction. "... You oka-?"

"Fine," Taylor promised quickly, panting as he squeezed his thighs around Jake's sides, causing the pilot to grip his ass tighter as he rocked forward. " _Don't stop_!" Taylor pleaded, raising his arms to gran the lower branch just above his head, as he arched beneath Jake's touch.

"... With pleasure." Jake murmured, guiding his cock into Taylor and groaning as he pressed his forehead to Taylors shoulder. "Oh, Taylor..." Jake murmured, his lips resuming his exploration of Taylors body, as he began to move within him.

Taylor gasped, curling one hand around the back of the pilots neck and urging him closer. His body sang with pleasure, his heart light at Jake's sounds of pleasure and the soft calls of his name. He cried out when the pilot palmed his own cock, his fingers curling around him expertly as he stroked him in time with his increasing thrusts.  _"Jake..!"_  He choked, heat swirling in his gut as he was rapidly brought to completion. He wrapped himself tightly around the pilot, a constant litany of pleas escaping his lips in an indecipherable babble; as Jake drove him to am intense peak.

"Holy fu-" Jake groaned, panting as he shivered, clutching at Taylors ass with his free hand, as his cock vegan to pulse within him.  _"Taylor!"_  He choked, burying his face in Taylors throat, tickling the sweat flushed skin with urgent scratchy kisses, as he stroked Taylor to his own completion.

 _"Aaah..._  Jake!" He cried, his fingers dragging roughly over the pilots shoulders as he rode the high wave of pleasure, turning his head to afford the pilot more skin at his throat.  _"Jake..."_  He sighed, shuddering as he caught his breath.

"Hmmm, I always liked how ya sing my name best, Boy Scout." Jake murmured, as he carefully shifted away, and gently set Taylors feet on the floor, immediately capturing his lips for a passionate kiss.

"Hmm," Taylor hummed in reply, leaning his forehead to Jake's, as they slowly cooled off and allowed their racing pulse's to return to normal. "... I missed you last night." He said quietly, as Jake shifted guiltily and cupped his face with his hand. "And the night before tha-"

"I know, Boy Scout, I know... I'm sorry." Jake said quietly, kissing his brow before nuzzling his jaw affectionately, as Taylors fingers curled over his shoulders. "I just... bein' back here, always makes it so much worse. I-" he paused, looking away briefly before returning his apologetic gaze to Taylor. "I miss the bastard, and... I always remember him most here. I mean, it was here that he-"

"I know..." Taylor shushes him quietly, drawing the pilots head to his shoulder. "I know. I understand, I do... I just, I miss _you."_  Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stepped back and looked around the suite dispassionately. "... Do you, maybe wanna get outta here again? We could go back to the lodge? Or Elyys'tel?" Taylor suggested, biting his lip as he leaned against the tree awkwardly.

"Not sure Blues Clues has forgiven me for the whole brawl thing," Jake said lightly, though he ducked his head guiltily.  _"Ahem,_  which I still say was Malfoys fault,  _not_  mine."

"Jake, you know how hard they were trying... You were being an ass, and you know it." Taylor snarked, frowning as the pilot grimaced and reluctantly conceded. "But, it was thirty years ago... I'm sure they've forgiven you."

"Hmm..." Jake hummed thoughtfully, pausing a moment as he gazed out the broken window they'd never bothered to fix. "Ya know, I think you're right, Boy Scout." The pilot said at last, stepping closer again as he smiled and brushed him lips over Taylors teasingly.

"Hmm, about anything in particular?" Taylor asked cheekily, grinning mischievously, as his heart lifted with relief at the pilots lightened mood. "Or are you just stating facts?" He added, throwing Jake a cocky wink as he chuckled fondly.

Jake knocked their foreheads together, content for a moment to remain as they were in silence, before kissing Taylor tenderly. "... I love you, Taylor."

"I love you too, Jake..." Taylor sighed softly, closing his eyes briefly as he nuzzled the pilots stubbled jaw. "Now, get out the way so I can get dressed. And pack... If we're heading out again."

Jake grinned, winking before he buried his face in the side of Taylors throat again. "Five more minutes..." He muttered, as Taylor laughed in surprise, but ultimately gave in.

Over an hour later, Taylor was still smiling as he stepped out the bathroom, towelling his hair from his shower as he glanced around the suite. "Jake..?" He called, his brow creasing faintly when there was no response, before he shrugged and pushed his concerns away.  _Probably gone to grab his things from around the hotel... And his favourite whiskey._  He thought, grimacing briefly before pushing the thoughts aside. He grabbed his shorts and shirt from the wardrobe, pulling them on quickly, before throwing his things into his bag.  _Packing done._  He thought with a snicker, grabbing his sunglasses with a sigh, before deciding to spend some time by the pool before they left.

He hummed to himself softly, as he strolled down the hall to the elevator, riding it to the lobby and heading out the back to the pool area. As he entered the courtyard, several of his friends raised their arms and cheered.

"Taylor!" Craig called, a smile breaking out on his face, as he caught sight of Taylor from where he lounged on a sunbed by the pool in his swim shorts. "Ready to get turnt tonight?"

"What's the occasion?" Taylor asked, chuckling as Raj bounded over to Craig and knocked him in the pool.

"The only occasion ever worth celebrating..." Raj said, laughing as Craig surfaced in the pool, spluttering indignantly. "We just feel like  _iiiiiit!"_

"Well, I'll have to get back to you. I think we're heading out later today..." Taylor hummed, spreading his palms as Raj pouted at him accusingly.

To the side of the large boy, Quinn and Michelle were hanging string lights above the pool, while Raj helped Craig out the pool and Zahra stood over by a turntable.

"I didn't know you guys were back at The Celestial." Taylor said warmly, heading over to help Raj pull Craig out the pool.

"Yeah bro, got in late last night... Didn't Jake tell you?" The jock asked, as he clambered to his feet and shook himself off, before returning to his sunbed.

"Oh, uh... No, I think he did but I was just... Asleep." Taylor said guiltily, his heart sinking as he tried to convince himself that there was nothing wrong. _I'm sure he just forgot... between, coming back to the suite, and... sex_. He thought, biting his lip as his stomach twisted in nervous agitation. "What bar was he haunting this time?" He asked nonchalantly, attempting to paint a smile on his face.

"Bar, nah bro." Craig snorted, knocking back a drink without even looking. "He was in the Atrium, with a bottle of Raleigh Dewitt Gold, man that was some good whiskey... Wait, didn't you-"

"I went to bed early..." Taylor said quickly, looking away as he bit his lip and tried to fight the sting of his eyes. "I, uh... drank too much."

Raj threw his arm around Taylors shoulder suddenly, providing a welcome distraction from the pilot which Taylor gladly leapt upon. "Taylor, buddy, ol' pal, ol' friend..." He listed, as Taylors raised a brow suspiciously. "Wanna help settle something..?"

"That depends entirely on what you want me to do..." He said slowly, jabbing the large boy in the shoulder playfully, despite his still conflicted heart. "Last time you asked me to do you a favour, I ended up lost for a week in the southern jungle!"

"That was totally  _not_  my fault." Raj quickly countered, pouting as Taylor snorted and raised his other brow at him. "Okay, so the directions were perhaps a little faulty; but you got back in the end!"

"Yeah, 'cause Jake came and  _found_  me." Taylor groused, scowling at his friend in feigned irritation, as his heart lurched painfully. "Which he didn't stop reminding me of, for  _two years..."_

"Hey, losers, focus on the problem; not Jake and Taylors weird sex life." Zahra snarked, scowling over at them from the turntable.

"Hey, we do  _not-"_  Taylor protested, though he wisely silenced himself when Zahra fixed him with a hard glare."Ahem... So, what was the uh, the problem?" He asked quickly.

"We can't decide who should DJ tonight, 'cause we all want to do it." Zahra said, her eyes narrowing as she looked over at Craig in irritation. "Of course,  _some_  of us just have no taste and should know to leave well enough alone." She said, noticeably raising her voice.

Taylor flinched, glancing at Raj, who shook his head discreetly in silent warning not to ask.  _I wonder how long they've been on the outs this time_... He thought sadly, glancing between Craig and Zahra as they exchanged bested glares.

"I'm just saying," Craig said stubbornly, clearly repeating an old argument. "If I have to listen to Z's 'Blue Screen of Death' playlist, one more time-"

"You'll discover that you actually  _do_  have taste in music after all?" Zahra asked innocently, a cruel smirk curling her lips as Craig scowled at her in irritation.

"I got this, dudes." Raj assured, beaming between the two hopefully. "Lemme do the honours!" He implored them, glancing at Taylor quickly.

"Brah, you've only got  _one_  album." Craig snorted, shaking his head at his friend in frustration. "Even I, can only listen to Party Rock so many times... Besides, who needs a playlist!" He said, his expression morphing to a wide grin, as he winked at Taylor. "Let's just plug in my phone and shuffle!"

"Too much chaos!" Raj gasped, his eyes widening as he wrung his hands briefly in a sign of distress. "You can't mix grunge, Kpop and depressing piano music in one sesh!"

"Urgh," Zahra sighed, scowling at the pair in disgust. "Taylor, you're an impartial party; and I'm trusting you haven't become an idiot since I last saw you, so... Can you just pick someone?"

"Uh..." Taylor balked, the weight of the decision sitting heavier on his shoulders than he felt it should. _I obvious can't pick either Craig or Zahra, without the other one being hugely offended so_... He thought, glancing up at Raj beside him and winking quickly. "Come on, monsieur chef... Show us what ya got." He chuckled, as Raj fist pumped the air and withdrew his arm from Taylors shoulders, as he turned the volume all the way up and vegan bouncing to the beat.

"Party Rock in the house!" Raj cheered, bouncing around wildly as Craig and Zahra shuffled off to different ends of the pool in equal levels of irritation.

 _"Wooooo!"_  Taylor turned in surprise, a wide smile spreading across his face as Diego cheered and came running over to throw his arms around his shoulders in a tight hug.

"Hey!" Taylor greeted, laughing as he hugged his friend back, before drawing back to look him over fondly. "Finally took up that razor, huh? You come in with these guys last night?" He asked, as Diego huffed and rubbed his smooth cheeks forlornly.

"Yeah, we got in pretty late so we went straight to my old suite, and just figured I'd find you today..." Diego admitted, shrugging lightly. "As for the shave, well... I thought it was time." Taylor raised a brow knowingly, and moments later Diego grimaced, shaking his head in exasperation. "... I lost a bet."

"There we go." Taylor snorted, eyeing his friend fondly. "So how's things? How's the whole, ya know... 'married life' thing going?" He asked, frowning as Diego's face fell briefly.

"Oh, you know... We have our ups and downs." He said hesitantly, before sighing and finally relenting. "There's good days and bad days. The Vaanti are still kinda bent outta shape that Varyyn chose me over, well... You know." He said, as Taylor rubbed his arm gently, recalling the day several years before when they'd discovered Varyyn was actually engaged.

"Yeah... Well, it all worked out in the end." Taylor said brightly, pasting a false smile to his face as his friend glanced up at him. "She got a better offer, and you got to keep Varyyn. Everybody happy; the end."

"Heh, yeah I guess... Thanks, Taylor." Diego hummed thoughtfully, gripping Taylors hand briefly, before looking up again with a wistful sigh. "I'm sure once the whole 'outsider' thing calms down they'll lighten up... Varyyn decided he needed a break from the whole Elyyshar gig, so we thought we'd stop in and see who was around."

"Well, I think we were heading out later, but we can probably stay an extra night and leave in the morning..." Taylor said, humming thoughtfully. "I'll go find Jake in a bit and see how he feels."

"Cool, so... hopefully catch up properly later?" Diego asked, a small smile tugging at his lips as Varyyn headed over to them. Taylor rolled his eyes and nodded, moving aside as Diego and Varyyn began to dance together; Diego moving like a robot, while Varyyn performed a Vaanti ceremonial dance around him.

"Well, my work here is done!" Taylor said lightly, clapping his hand against Raj's in a high five as the large boy bounced past him. "I'll let you get back to it... You know how to reach me of you need anything else!" He sniggered, as they waved him off.

As Taylor turned to leave however, he caught sight if Quinn and Michelle once again, and walked up to then with the intention of saying goodbye. "Hey, you two." He said, grinning when Quinn turned to him with a smile.

"Hey, Taylor!" Quinn giggled, beaming at him brightly. "Could you help Michelle out, finishing up the lights? I just gotta check on how the cakes baking..." She said, quickly kissing his cheek and disappearing off toward the kitchen before Taylor could even reply.

"Uh, sure?" Taylor hedged, as Michelle hummed distractedly. He blushed awkwardly, as he began feeding the blonde the last of the lights. She sighed heavily, and Taylor frowned, looking over to see the blonde looked far more distant than he'd first realised. "You... okay there?" He asked hesitantly.

Michelle paused a moment, slowly putting the lights down as she shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, Taylor..." She said quietly, finally looking over at him with a distinctly hollow gaze which sent a chill along Taylors spine. "I'm happy to be here, with all these friends that I love. I just feel so..." She sighed heavily once more, running a hand through her hair distractedly.  _"Wasted._  Not doing more with myself, not able to help Grace and Aleister..." She said, swallowing heavily as Taylor looked down guiltily, his heart clenching painfully. "There's more to life, than throwing parties and hanging out... But that's what we're doing. That's all we  _can_  do." She said, shaking her head tiredly.

"Just..." Taylor hedged, a rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, guilt gnawing heavily in his churning stomach. "Give yourself time..."

"I've  _had_  time, Taylor!" Michelle growled in frustration, shaking her head as she scowled at the floor dejectedly. "Do you have any idea how long we've been here already? Just because the Vaanti don't recognise or celebrate the passing of time; doesn't mean I can't help but count the days away..!" She whispered furiously, quickly pressing a hand to her mouth as she glanced at him guiltily. "I'm sorry, I-"

"It's okay... I understand." Taylor said quietly, trying his hardest to hide the sting of her words. "I just... I'd hoped once you gave yourself a chance to relax, you might be able to start planning something for the fut-"

"But that's my  _point,_  Taylor." Michelle sighed wearily, looking at him with pained eyes. "There is no future. There's just...  _this. Forever."_

"That doesn't mean you won't find something new to give your life meaning..." Taylor said, almost urgently as he felt his guilt spike sharply. "Really... It'll happen if you let it, if you just, take some time and then..." He trailed off, sighing dejectedly as he lost faith in his own reassurances.

Michelle was silent for a moment, before wrapping her arms around his shoulders gently. "I hope you're right." She said quietly, as Taylor silently prayed that he was. "Because it's not like we have other options..." She said with a huff, trailing off as she drew back to offer him a weak smile. "Oops. I went way too far into my head again. Sorry about that." She said tiredly, returning to the lights.

"... No problem." Taylor said quietly, feeding lights through to her once again. For a moment, the silence around them was comfortable, but Taylor felt his curiosity bubble uncontrollably from his throat. "How're Grace and Aleister..?" He asked before he could stop himself.

Michelle's brow immediately furrowed, drawing her lip between her teeth. "They were okay last I saw them... They actually prefer Sharktooth Isle for some reason I just  _cannot_  fathom." She scoffed, shaking her head fondly, before she sighed sadly. "They've still had no luck... I think it's a tie at this point who's most distressed about it."

"I wish I could do something..." Taylor said, swallowing heavily as his heart sank in his chest, the ashen taste of guilt on his tongue.

"Yeah..." Michelle sighed, as she hung the final lights. "Me too." She flashed Taylor a brief smile, before turning to go join the others. Taylor bit his lip as he watched them all for a moment, a steadily growing ache in his chest, before he turned and walked slowly back into the lobby.

 _Did I do the right thing_..? Taylor wondered, though he couldn't recall how many times he'd thought it before since he'd reversed the flow of energy from Rourke's Omega Mech to the Heart.  _Are they going to be okay..? Should I have just, done what I was made for? Then they wouldn't be having the problems they are... Craig and Zahra, with their fallouts. Grace and Aleister, trying so hard for a baby, for so long.._. Taylor sighed, folding his arms around himself as he stepped into the elevator and rode it up to the penthouse floor, heading back to his suite.  _What have I done to them..? Even Jake is.._. Taylor sniffed as he stepped into his suite, scrubbing the back of his hand over his stinging eyes as he drew in a deep breath.

"Boy Scout?" He blinked in surprise, heading towards the bathroom to find Jake just exiting the shower, towelling his hair roughly as he frowned at Taylor. "Hey, what's-?"

Taylor barely paused, moving towards the naked pilot and butting his head to Jake's shoulder, seeking his comfort desperately. "Jake..?" He whispered, swallowing thickly to force back the tight ball of emotion in his throat. "Did I break you all..?" He asked, his voice small as he trembled with rising grief.

 _"What?!"_  Jake exclaimed, his hands settling on Taylors shoulders and pushing him back to reveal his wide eyed shock, as he looked Taylor over worriedly. "Whaddaya mean?" He asked, frowning as Taylor hiccupped and fought against the nausea in his gut.

"Please... You'd tell me, right?" Taylor pleaded, gripping the pilots arm tightly. "If you were miserable, and it was because of me; because I chose to-"

"Taylor," Jake sighed, running his hand through his hair as he drew Taylor into a gentle embrace. "Taylor, nobody blames ya... Sure, we might have our off days now and then, but; you can't exactly blame us..." He reasoned, running his hands over Taylors back reassuringly. "Some days; I miss my folks, my sister... Mike. And some days yeah, its bad. But they're far outweighed by the good days I have with you... Everyone else is the same. But I can guarantee ya, Boy Scout... Nobody blames ya, and nobody ever will. I promise ya, even. Okay?" He asked, as Taylor bit his lip uncertainly.

"... Can we get out of here now?" Taylor finally asked, squirming as he sighed and buried his face against the pilots throat. His heart pulsing weakly with guilt and heartache, as his eyes prickled painfully.

Jake chuckled, his hand dropping to Taylors ass and swatting it affectionately. "Can I get dressed first?" He asked, frowning as Taylor moved aside with a downcast expression. He watched as Jake gathered his clothes quickly, and dumped them on the end of the bed, moving to pull his shirt on.

"Wait!" Taylor cried suddenly, walking over quickly and snatching the top from Jake's hands. "Make me forget first." He pleaded, peeling off his own shirt and drawing the pilot against him.

"What?" Jake balked, his eyes wide as he looked over in disbelief, as Taylor pressed the pilots hand to his frantically racing heart.

"Please..." Taylor said quietly, his eyes touched by the first hints of despair as he gazed up at the pilot pleadingly, stinging as they welled with tears. "Make me forget, then take me away..?  _Please,_  Jake?" Taylor asked, as Jake swallowed heavily, before guiding him to the bed, and slowly lowering them to comply with his wishes. As he made Taylors body sing beneath him, and his mind block out the clouded moods of his friends; Jake pretended he didn't know exactly what Taylor wanted to forget about.

 _A promise here, a promise there... But always, always was a lie. A false smile, a faked greeting; but none of it was real. You couldn't tell me, but I knew. All along... I knew_.

Taylor blinked, staring across his suite at the broken window tiredly. He sighed, rolling onto his back and turning to the cold and empty space beside him. He ran his hand over the sheets longingly, before rolling to his side again, staring vacantly at the burning horizon as it melted into another sunrise.

He sighed, swinging his legs from the bed and bracing his hands on the edge, his head lowered as emotion welled thick in his throat. He allowed himself only a moment, before he got to his feet and quickly pulled on his clothes, the cloying silence in the suite stifling and oppressive. The second he'd finished dressing, he dsrted from the suite, his heart aching from the loss of every joy he'd once felt within.

Once in the hallway, he took a deep breath, and made his way to the elevator, riding it down to the lobby and heading over to the Atrium. His heart broke as he entered, a familiar green jacket slumped across a sofa in the distant corner of the large room. Although they'd never repaired the roof, they'd cleared the debris several centuries before; leaving the area open, merely with an added skylight. He sighed and walked over to where Jake was passed out, his beard a full three inches thicker than he had last seen it at least a month before. Tears stung his eyes, and he exhaled a shaky sigh, and haltingly reached foe the pilot; only to flinch away at the last second. Jake grunted and shifted in his sleep, and Taylor felt his heart stutter as he backed away quickly, twisting mid-step and hurrying to continue on his way before the pilot could wake.

He scuttled quickly through the hallways, and made his way back to the library, his regular haunting ground. He paused however in the doorway, as he spotted Aleister and Grace, piling books onto a small stack in the middle of the floor.

"Did you happen to find anymore Kantian texts in that wing? They might have something..." Grace asked quietly, her curls swinging messily as she glanced up at Aleister tiredly.

"I'm sorry... But I discovered something which was thought to have been lost to the Great Library of Alexandria." Aleister replied, his voice weary as he offered a large volume to her.

Taylor desperately wished to greet them, his heart swelling with joy at having seen them back at The Celestial for the first time in; more years than he could remember. However, their tired expressions and dishevelled demeanour's told him he should let them be.

He looked up to see Diego and Michelle standing on the mezzanine balcony, perusing the tomes. "I think I found the first ever comic book up here once..." Diego said to her, smiling warmly as the blonde blinked blankly at the display. "It was from, like, eighteenth century Japan."

"Hmm..." Michelle hummed noncommittally, as Diego bit his lip and glanced around uncertainly, wanting to cheer the blonde somehow. Taylor stepped back around the door, his heart aching at the thought he was hiding from his friends, but also racing; at the pain he could sense emanating from them all.

 _I should just come aback after they're all gone_... He thought, biting his lip indecisively.  _But, I can't waste the day. Maybe I can slip into the corner before they notice me? Or, at least gather my things and head down to the beach with them or something_. He thought, shuddering at the thought of returning to his suite any sooner than he had to. Sucking in a deep shuddering breath, and steeling his nerve, Taylor turned and crept into the library. He hurried through the darker aisle's, to a familiar section with several books laid out ready on a table, undisturbed by Grace and Aleister's search.

With quick, efficient hands, Taylor collected his things, and was just about to leave again; when a hand settled on his shoulder, causing him to yelp and turn in surprise. "Diego! Shit, you gave me a heart attack..." He choked, glancing around nervously as his friend raised his hands in placation. "What uh, I mean... How're you, um, how's things, I mean... Hey." He babbled in a whisper, clearing his throat awkwardly as he looked down at Diego's tired face, his beard regrown and longer than ever.

"I'm okay." Diego said quietly, nodding his head as he smiled at Taylor gently, offering to take some of his books. "I saw you creeping and figured you didn't wanna..." He trailed off, gesturing over his shoulder to where Michelle was silently watching Grace and Aleister with a growing frown.

"Yeah, I, uh..." Taylor hedged, shrugging his shoulders and quickly having to jostle the books in his arms to keep hold of them. "I didn't wanna... intrude." He said quietly, a silence falling between them as they stood and awkwardly avoided their eyes meeting. "Well. I should really-"

"Why are you even bothering?!" Michelle's furious yell burst through the library, and Taylor flinched at the vehemence on the blondes tone. "It's pathetic! You  _know_  what the problem is, you've known for centuries! You just wont  _admit_  it!"

"Is that you're medical opinion? Aleister sneered, scowling over at her dismissively. "I believe we were already aware of it, from the last time we asked you for help... Help, which you did not wish to give, as I recall."

"There's nothing I  _can_  do! There's nothing anyone can do!" Michelle cried, her cheeks wet from the tears she couldn't contain. Taylors heart clenched painfully, clutching his books closer to his chest as he ducked out of sight of the arguing trio. "It's not a medical problem, there's nothing wrong with either of you! It's this stupid island and this stupid, endless-"

"Michelle..." Grace said quietly, slowly rising to her feet with her arms folded around a thick tome. "I know you never wanted this life. I know you found it hard, and you've tried to help us all you could... But there has to be a way to do this naturally. After everything Aleister went through... We can't go down the science route." She said, her eyes locked on her feet. Taylor swallowed heavily, guilt swelling in his chest like a rapidly inflating balloon. "Please understand, I  _believe_  we can do this... I  _have_  to! There's just, something we're missing-"

"The only thing wrong, is that you're stuck in this place like the rest of us!" Michelle yelled, her gaze hardening as she wiped the back of her arm over her eyes. "Just like the rest of us, you're trapped in endless limbo. Your body can't change, can't grow old, can't die! We're stuck in time, lost in space and have no choice but to endure it endlessly!" The blonde said scathingly, as Taylors breath hitched, his eyes stinging with bitter tears of pain, longing and regret.  _"This_  is  _no_  life..." Michelle said brokenly, shaking her head as she stormed out of the library.

Diego's hand settled on Taylors arm, and he flinched guiltily at the contact, swallowing as he averted his gaze. He watched as Grace stood still in the centre of the room, her pile of books forgotten as she remained as still as a statue. "Aleister?" She called quietly.

"Yes, love?" He asked, stepping closer and raising his hand to her hair, gently untangling some of her more unruly curls.

"... Could you find me the Mayan texts again, please?" Grace finally asked, turning to walk slowly through the library doors. "I'm going to take a short nap..." She added, as Aleister sighed. The pale boys face fell, as he shook his head and grabbed some books, following after Grace with them.

Taylor remained against the wall, his mind replaying the argument on a loop. He swallowed heavily, releasing a small sigh, as he walked back to the table and gently laid his books out again. "So... Uh, what are we doing?" Diego asked, frowning as he lifted a cover and read it aloud. "Quantum Time, the Theory made Practice..?" He balkd, glancing at Taylor, who studiously avoided his gaze. "There something you wanna tell me, Taylor?" He asked, raising a brow as Taylor snorted.

"Not particularly, but I get the feeling you're not gonna leave me alone until I do..." He huffed, his lips twitching in a small, tired approximation of a grin at his friend. "I'm uh, I'm mostly just... working my way through the library." He sighed, looking around wistfully to try and sell his lie. "There's remarkably little fun stuff starts with 'Q', ya know..?"

"Uh huh," Diego hummed, shaking his head as Taylor avoided his eyes. "You know, you can talk to me, Taylor... I know everyone's kind of, going their seperate ways at the moment but-"

"That is quite possibly the biggest understatement I've ever heard you make." Taylor snorted, finally glancing over at his friend. "And I once heard you say Raj was 'a little' excitable."

"Yeah well, he's rarely anything but now." Diego sighed, running his hand along the table as he glanced down. "I don't know what the hell those Anachronist guys take, but it sure gives Raj one hell of a high."

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed vaguely, looking over his books distractedly, trying not to think of his friends who had gone to live with the outcast Vaanti several years previous. "Well, I should really get back to... Quantum Time. Riveting stuff, really... really fascinating." He said awkwardly, as Diego cleared his throst and nodded quickly.

"Right, yeah. I'll just... leave you to it. That." He said, briefly flashing Taylor a grin reminiscent of his old, carefree smile, before turning and leaving Taylor to his books. Taylor waited until he couldn't hear his friends footsteps any longer, before collapsing into the nearest chair, his head falling to his hands as he vraced his elbows on the table.

"Oh my god..." He sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face, as he gazed around the books before him tiredly. "I'm never gonna find a way in all this junk..." He mumbled, shoving the pile off the table in disgust. "I'm never gonna be able to fix this for them." He said, swallowing against the bitter taste of bile, rising in his throat. He stared vacantly across the table, starting suddenly as Diego delicately placed a small book between them, and sat in the seat next to him. Taylor looked over in surprise, his heart racing at his friends soft smile and encouraging grin.

"Looked like you needed a break from all those riveting 'Q' books..." He said, nudging Taylor playfully. Taylor choked out a britlwlaugh, clapping Diego on the shoulder in gratitude, as they leaned closer to the book he'd brought over.

It's pages contained elaborate drawings, which fluidly mixed and melded with Japanese text. "Huh." Taylor hummed, nodding his head thoughtfully. "You know, last time you found this, we had no idea what was going on..."

"Ha, yeah..." Diego huffed lightly, grinning in fond remembrance. "My binge watching of  _Inuyasha_  hadn't helped me very much with Edo era Japanese." He said, chuckling as he carefully turned the pages. "Hmm... Even after all this time, it's still so cool."

"... Without this, we wouldn't have had Batman, right?" Taylor offered with a soft chuckle as Diego laughed quietly and nudged him.

"And here I thought you were more of a Marvel guy." Diego snickered, as Taylor snorted and shoved him lightly.

"Don't quote me to me...  _Assbutt."_  Taylor said, snickering when Diego began to laugh genuinely, the sound lightening Taylors heart briefly, before it sank entirely into his guilt and self depreciation.

"God, it's been forever since you called me that." Diego finally gasped, wiping his eyes as he looked over at Taylor fondly. "You should do that more often."

"What? Call you an assbutt? I can do that." Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as he pushed himself up from his chair and moved around the table to collect his books.

"No...  _smile."_  Diego said, as Taylor hesitated briefly, before continuing to collect his books. "Dude, you know nobody blames you, right? We had two scenarios to choose from, and just because we were evenly split... Doesn't make you the bad guy for stepping up to make that final choice."

Taylors heart tugged viciously at his friends words, unintentionally having the opposite effect to what he'd intended. He barely contained his grieved gasp, averting his gaze to the far bookcase to hide his grief stricken eyes. "Taylor..?" Diego called uncertainly, as Taylor quickly tried to trample down his rioting emotions.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I just-" Taylor babbled, falling silent abruptly as hos eyes fell upon a small book tucked away at the bottom of the bookcase. "What..?" He wondered aloud, crawling over and carefully working the book free. This is..! He thought, his eyes widening as he flipped open the little book, the hastily scribbled pages opening with a note to himself.

 _Taylor, while I believe whole heartedly that it is for the best that our friends remain happy and safe on La Huerta, if anything should occur to jeopardize their future... There is something you should be aware of_...

Taylor read the passage three times, before snapping it shut with a grimace. He jumped, when Diego's hand settled on his shoulder, twisting free of his friends grasp as he pushed to his feet. "I uh, I have to go... I-" he swallowed thickly, brushing past his friend quickly, his books forgotten. "I need to talk to Jake..." He said, glancing back from the doorway ro see Diego watching him worriedly. "I'll... I'll come find you soon." He said, pausing a moment longer, before darting into the hall and racing back towards the Atrium.

 _The Endless's diary... How'd it even get there? Did he leave it there, knowing what would happen_? He wondered, shaking his head as he jumped down steps three at a time in his haste.  _But... what if he's wrong..? What if it doesn't work?_  He wondered, pausing with his hand on the Atrium door, as he debated and caught his breath.  _Maybe, if I just see how he reacts, and then... Well, we can work the details out together later._  He thought, biting his lip as he sucked in a deep breath to steady himself, and pushed through the door.

"Jake..?" He called gently, his gaze roaming across the open area uncertainly. "You still here?" He asked, moving over to where he'd seen the pilot earlier. He sighed, when he found Jake as he'd left him, curled around a bottle of whiskey and sound asleep. "Jake... Come on, I need to talk to you. It's important." He insisted, bending down to lightly jostle the pilots shoulder. "Jake..?"

"Mmm, too early, Boy Scout..." Jake grumbled, groaning as he squeezed Taylors hand briefly, before attempting to roll away. "Five more minutes... then I'll come fu-"

"Jake!" Taylor growled, pulling the pilot over to his back and swinging himself over his waist. He scowled as he slapped Jake hard across the cheek, the pilots eyes snapping open sharply. "I need to talk to you,  _now-"_

Jake rolled them over, quickly pinning Taylor beneath him as he smirked down at him. Taylor felt his heart clench at the cerulean eyes which had once been so utterly adoring, now clouded by a permanent haze of alcohol or lust. "You coulda just said if ya wanted some-"

"Urgh, Jake, get  _off_  of me!" Taylor grimaced, his heart breaking as he shoved at the pilots chest, until he finally relented and moved back. "Goddamn it, I said I needed to  _talk_  to you... It's important. I found somethi-"

"Hmm, sounds mighty interestin', Boy Scout..." Jake huffed, yawning as he pushed to his feet, stumbling dangerously as Taylor rushed to stabilize him. His eyes stung as they stood for a moment, lost in each others gaze, before Jake cleared his throat and turned away. "But, ya know, I was just havin' a pretty fancy dream where ya  _didn't_  say no to me..." The pilot snickered, winking at him cockily.

"Maybe if you could stay sober for a day, I wouldn't say no." Taylor countered quietly, as silent tears rolled over his cheeks, his broken gaze locked onto the pilots back. "Look... I just wanted to ask you something." He sighed, wiping his eyes slowly. "Then you can get back to your dream."

"Whaddaya wanna know, Boy Scout?" Jake asked, groaning as he bent to pick up his bottle and take a large swig. "I'm guessin' it  _ain't_  to have a good time." He snorted, chuckling quietly at his own joke.

Taylor flinched, looking down at the ground as he tried to find the words. "If... If you could undo,  _all_  of this..." He hedged, licking his lips as his heart leapt into his throat, his eyes raising to Jake's suddenly tensed back. "If you could go back, and choose again... Would you do it..?"

"... That a trick question, Boy Scout?" Jake asked quietly, after a pregnant pause. Taylor flinched, a pained, shuddering sigh escaping him as he tried to hold together his breaking heart. "I always wanted to see my family again... To let 'em know I wasn't what they were told, that I-" the pilot paused, his heavy swallow audible from where Taylor watched him through tear blurred vision. "You're askin' me if I'd take the chance to see 'em again? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you already know the answer..."

Taylor nodded his head swiftly, dragging his arm over his eyes as his heart trembled in his chest. "... No matter what?" He pressed, drawing in a deep breath as he forced his emotions to the back of his mind. "Whatever the cost?"

"I wouldn't hesitate if it cost my damn life." Jake muttered darkly, before swigging heavily from his bottle of whiskey. Taylor exhaled sharply, nodding again as he took a step back.

"... Okay." He said softly, turning away as he felt his face twist with grief. "I'll, uh... I'll let you get back to your dream." He choked, quickly making his way across the Atrium.

"Boy Scout..?" Jake called after him curiously, but Taylor didn't stop; couldn't stop, until he'd ridden the elevator up to the penthouse floor and shut himself in his suite. There, he slid down the wall, and allowed himself to finally fall apart.

 _Gone..._  He thought brokenly, shaking his head as he buried his face in his knees.  _Everything, everyone ever felt. It's all gone... Nothings left anymore._  He gasped for breath, a gaping wound opening in his chest, as he thought of all the trials they'd survived together, all the battles they'd faced and the lifetimes they'd endured _. I guess... It was inevitable. I never had the pasts they did... I could never understand_. Taylor shook his head, his sobs abating to dry hiccups, as he forced himself to his feet and dragged himself to the bathroom to spash his swollen eyes with water.

As he exited, he stared at the bed longingly, remembering all of his most fond memories of the lifetimes he and Jake had shared it. With a tired sigh, he walked over, dropping to his knees and hesitating, before drawing out a dusty red suit from beneath. "I'd hoped to be able to forget all about  _you."_  He said quietly, pulling the spacesuit out from under the bed and reluctantly exchanging his clothes for it. He took a final look around the room, noticing a small notepad on the bedside table. With a derisive snort, he picked it up and flipped it open, shaking his head at his own ridiculousness. "He isn't gonna be coming up here, and besides... It's not like it even really matters, the whole damn timeline is gonna-" he broke of with a frustrated sigh, giving in to the urge and grabbing the pen from the desk.

**Gone to make your dream come true... I love you. -T.**

Taylor tossed the brief note onto the pillow, guessing if the pilot did return to the suite, it would be to collapse face first on the bed. He grabbed The Endless's diary, and with a final glance around the room, Taylor turned and walked away, for the final time.

His journey to Mount Atropo was uneventful, the island seeming almost as if it were slumbering. He looked around the trees vacantly, deinking in the beauty of the island which had been his home for uncounted years now. The island which had brought him into being, and was in its way, a part of him. "I... am a man," he hummed, walking unhurriedly along the paths which sprawled throughout the rainforest. "Of constant sorrow..." He sang quietly, passing the time as the paths turned to a mountainside trail, leading to the Threshold itself. He walked slowly through the darkened tunnels, until he found himself in a large cavern, where a familiar crystal pillar glittered almost expectantly.

 ** _"I warned The Endless of this path_**..." Vaanu's voice floated around him, as he approached the crystal pillar, his heart racing nervously. " _ **Human lives, are not meant to be extended so long... They grow restless, resentful, lost.**_ " The spirit warned, as Taylor grimaced finally came to a halt.

"Stop gloating already." He muttered, frowning at the crystal pillar as he tried to steel his nerves. "Will... will it hurt?" He asked, looking around to find Vaanu's visage glimmering over the lava nearby. "Will they-"

"They will not remember." Vaanu assured, slowly drifting closer. "The only one who will remember, is yourself, lest you make the same mistake again..."

Taylor nodded, looking back at the crystal pillar, which seemed to hum and flicker in eager anticipation. "What do I-"

"Focus, recall that moment on the rooftop; the choices you made... The crystal, will do the rest." Vaanu promised.

Taylor sniffed, nodding again as he took a final step closer, his hand outstretched as he searched through the years of memories in his mind. He smiled faintly, recalling all the moments he'd spent curled into his pilots embrace. He raised his free hand to his chest, a dull ache beginning to pulse deep within, as he pushed himself to remember the first year they'd spent in their endless summer; the first month, the first week and finally, their first day. As the memories rolled past in reverse, he could almost hear the desperate reverence with which his pilot had called his name.

"Taylor!" He sniffed, tears of joy and loss caressing his cheeks as he pushed past the memories; for it had been decades since Jake had called him anything but his nickname. "Taylor!" The pilots voice echoed as his eyes snapped open, his heart skipping a beat as his chest swelled with pressure.  _"Taylor!"_

 _"Aaah!"_  He gasped, as he pressed his hand to the crystal pillar, the world disappearing around him in a dizzying flash of bright, iridescent light. When his vision began to clear, he found himself standing atop the Celestial, his heart racing as he stumbled back from the crystal pillar.

"Whoa!" He flinched, turning as an arm came to rest around his shoulder, Jake gazing down at him with concerned wide eyes. "Still with us, Taylor?" He asked worriedly, his brow furrowing as he slowly raised his hand to wipe the tears from Taylors cheeks.

"I..." Taylor choked, looking around the rooftop and starting, as he spied the vortex, swirling high in the sky _. It worked... I, I did it.._. He thought, swallowing heavily as he looked back up at the man who still loved him; who wasn't a drunk, and who was gazing at him in such genuine affection, that Taylors heart broke all over again for everything he'd lost. "Yeah, I'm... here."


	16. After All This Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh... this has grown way past what it was supposed to be. Its kind of come into its own life here and with what still has to happen - i have decided to break it in half... i hope thats ok... im sorry if i seem to be dragging this out - i dont mean to! But... i gotta tell it right, roght?
> 
> That said, theres some stuff in this im quite proud of actually... i hope you like it and let me know what you think! (Not gonna say how many more chapters i think itll be incase i get proven wrong again!)
> 
> x My live to you all x

_I should have known! Should never have been so stupid! How could I trust-_

_I was so weak... So hurt. I just wanted to be with you all_...

**16.**

**After All This Time.**

Taylor blinked, looking around the familiar scene from rooftop of The Celestial, his heart aching for the future he'd given up; for his friends, who were once more looking at him with concern and fond affection, as opposed to averting their eyes in shame or to hide their accusations. He swallowed as Rourke struggled to rise, turning away as he attempted to gain some sense of control over the roiling emotions within himself. Taylor sucked in several deep breaths, trying hard to bury the pain of everything he'd experienced and locking it away, deep in his heart.

He turned back to his friends, wiping the tears from his face as his expression morphed into a scowl. "Let him up." He growled, narrowing his eyes at Rourke hatefully, as Sean and Kele slowly released him.  _After countless years, I hate the bastard as much as I ever did..._  He thought darkly, almost amused as he watched the man dust himself off roughly. He gazed vacantly across the rooftop, but finally shook himself free of his lingering thoughts, forcing himself to tune into the mans speech about Project Janus just as he trailed off. "What do you get out of it?" He asked suspiciously, as Aleister stepped up beside him proudly.

"That's always the catch." He sneered, glaring at his father hatefully. Taylor flinched, as the pale boys hand came to rest upon his shoulder, blinking up at him in surprise.

"Get ready to hear some more lies." Zahra said glibly, clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth as she rolled her eyes.

Rourke shook his head dismissively, utterly avoiding Taylors question. "I always knew you were different, Taylor..." He said, as Taylor frowned and looked away, the familiar speech souring in his gut like rotten milk. "... You can drain its remaining energy into the Omega Mech, and  _finish_  this." He implored, as Taylor bit his lip, knowing he should not feel so tempted. The resolve he'd felt when he first stood on The Celestial rooftop, crumpled beneath the weight of his guilt and his longing.

"... That sounds bad, guys." Raj cried, his eyes wide as Taylor turned to his friend, pleased to see him once more the fun loving friend he'd always remembered fondly; no longer withered or tainted by the Anachronist 'special blends'.  _"Real_  bad."

Taylor quickly averted his eyes as Grace began to speak, his throat closing as he recalled how small and fragile she'd appeared; the final time he'd seen her in Rourke's library. He tuned out of everything, lost in the swirl of his own memories, until a familiar voice fell to his ears.

"You mean..." Jake gasped, his eyes widening in realisation as he stared at Rourke in disbelief. Taylor blinked, pushing away his own thoughts as he glanced between Jake and Rourke.

"Your friend Mike, will be alive." Rourke confirmed, as Jake was rendered speechless. The pilot swallowed heavily, before a ragged hasp escaped him.

"Taylor, if that's true..." He choked, pausing as his emotions overwhelmed him. The pilots hand slipped into his own briefly, raising it to his cheek, as he gazed down at Taylor pleadingly. "It would mean  _everything_  to me."

Taylor gazed up at Jake, tentatively brushing the backs of his fingers over the pilots cheek in a tender show of affection, as he'd been unable to for so long. "... I know." He whispered, swallowing against the heavy lump of grief in his throat.

"Imogen too, would be as she was." Rourke said, gesturing towards Iris's flickering hologram, as Aleister looked over at her longingly.

"Guys!" Diego cried, drawing Taylors friends attention, as he continued to drown within his pilots clear eyes; free of intoxication, and meeting his intense gaze with concern.

"What is it?" Jake whispered, as Taylor stared at him, drinking in all the details he'd almost forgotten about the pilot. The out of place fleck of green, deep within his cerulean eyes. The texture of his sandy hair between his fingers, before it had become matter and unkempt.

Taylor drew in a shuddering breath, shaking his head as he leaned forward and cautiously pressed his head against the pilots shoulder, his frame locked and stiff in hesitation. "... Nothing." He hiccupped, closing his eyes as Jake wrapped his arms around him, rubbing his back comfortingly.

"... If our,  _affections,_  were meant to last; then what happens here will not change them." Varyyn said quietly, as Taylor peeled his eyes open, to see the Elyyshar and Diego embracing gently.

"I can ensure you all survive." Rourke said quietly, stepping toward Taylor slowly. "That's a promise." He said, reaching for Taylor, only for him to shy away, protected by Jake's arms and fierce glare.

"The promise of a  _snake."_  Estela snarled, scowling at Rourke hatefully, her hands twitching with the obvious urge to attack him once more. Taylor swallowed, as Rourke gestured towards Iris, instructing her again to explain the project thoroughly.

"Project Janus, will return the Selected to the beginning of their freshman year, at Hartfeld University." She explained, smiling at Taylor fondly. "La Huerta will not exist, nor any trace of its impact remain. Further, Taylors past will be altered, giving him a family and also placing him at Hartfeld." She said, as Taylor closed his eyes and buried his face in Jake's jacket.

"Hey," the pilot murmured, frowning as he rubbed Taylors shoulders again. "What's she mean, Boy Scout..? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, forcing Taylors gaze to rise to his own.

"I..." Taylor choked, his throat clenching shut and cutting the words away. He shook his head, as Jake frowned at him, gazing down at him in concern.

"But if we go back, won't we lose everything..?" Diego asked, his face falling as he glanced up at Varyyn nervously.

 _We already lost everything... This is just a fresh chance_. Taylor thought, sucking in a deep breath to steady himself.

"You'll be alive, have your families... and you'll be together." Rourke assured, cutting a sly glance toward Taylor. "No ones offering you a better deal than that." He said quietly, and for the first time, Taylor could appreciate them as being true. He frowned, his fingers curling into Jake's jacket, unable to tear himself from the pilots embrace, after starving for the mans affection for so long. He leaned closer, burying his face in the side of Jake's throat and tentatively kissing the column of flesh, his lips trembling with longing; as the pilot merely pulled him into a tighter embrace.

"Then I say we stay." He flinched, at Raj's firm decision, whimpering in distress and trying to hide himself in his pilots jacket. He tried not to listen to his friends arguments, their excited assumptions about what such a future on the island could hold for them.

"Guys," he interrupted quickly, freeing himself from Jake's embrace slightly as he shook his head, looking around with a tortured gaze. "What about the people you've lost?"

"I'd  _really_  like to see my family again..." Jake said, swallowing thickly as he leaned down and bumped his forehead to Taylors.  _"And_  Mike." He said, as Taylor flinched and pulled away slightly, knowing only too well how deeply the pilot felt the conviction behind his words.

"I promised my ma and sis I'd come back from the war one day...? Kele said, looking up at the swirling vortex longingly. "I'd hate for my last words to them to be a lie."

"There were so many things I wanted to do..." Quinn said quietly, her face falling as she glanced at Kele, their hands reaching for each other as one. "To see the world, and go on new adventures..."

Taylor closed his eyes, his own arms folding around his chest as he listened to his friends reminisce about the dreams they'd had for their lives.  _How could I have tried to take all that from them..? Just because of what The Endless wanted_... He thought, choking back a grieved sob, as his thoughts turned towards his elder self. He recalled the last time he'd seen him, the Omega Mechs power rushing toward him as he clawed his way towards them.

"Rourke will promise everything... then take away the very thing we've fought so hard to protect!" The Endless's last words rang in his ears, and as he opened his eyes he gasped, surprised to find himself deep beneath the volcano once more; the sweat trickling over his brow serving as proof that the scene before him was in fact, all too real. He backed away nervously, as The Endless crawled towards him, reaching out frantically.

"But... you're-" Taylor choked, shaking his head as he looked around the lava flooded cavern. "You can't be-!" He broke off, realizing that he'd somehow thrown himself through time, to the point of The Endless's overdue end. "Is this  _you..?_  Or,  _me..?"_  Taylor wondered aloud, thinking back to the crystal pillar, so ready to obey him when he'd touched it during their endless future.  _Did I take something from it too, as it warped reality..?_  He wondered, as he shook his head and looked over at The Endless with wide eyes.

"Let me show you, Taylor..." The Endless pleaded, his flesh hand reaching toward Taylors head. "All that I've seen, all that I've lived." He offered, as Taylor trembled and shook his head in horror. "Every variation of our lives, over my-"

 _"No!"_  Taylor cried, shaking his head vehemently as he backed away further. "No... I've seen  _enough."_  He gasped, his eyes watering as The Endless lowered his hand and gazed at him sadly, before slowly fading away. Taylor blinked, as he felt himself be forcibly wrenched back to the rooftop, where Rourke scoffed at his still bickering friends and slowly approached him, where he stood cocooned within Jake's arms.

Taylor buried his face in the pilots shoulder, hiding his grief and vulnerability from his friends and Rourke alike. He flinched, at the solid sound of Estela's fist, connecting with Rourke's jaw.  _"You_  have nothing to tell  _anyone_  of selfishness." She snarled viciously, glaring at him in obvious disgust.

 _No... But I imagine even I could give him a run for his money at this point._  Taylor thought distantly, his fingers toying with the pilots dog tags absently. He looked around, and saw Sean shake his head uncertainly, weighing the options carefully.

"I guess we're evenly split, then." Diego said, frowning around them all hesitantly. "Half of us want to stay, and half of us want to go home... So, what about you, Taylor?" He asked, as Taylor closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath, fear consuming him.

"I..." He choked, scrunching his eyes closed tightly, as his shoulders hunched; his chest tight with grief. "I... need a moment." He gasped, breaking free of Jake's embrace and pushing away across the roof, leaning against the furthest railing from his friends _. I'm such a coward_... He thought, swallowing heavily as he trembled, trying to contain his grief and fear.  _I know what'll happen if I try to stay. I know what I should do... But, I want to live! I want to live here_! He thought desperately, gasping for breath as he looked up at the stars and recalled the crystal planet which Vaanu had shown him _. I want to stay, to be with Jake like we were; but properly; without the shadow of Mike's death, of his families loss... I want to be with my friends; my family, and have them not hate me. Oh, god... I don't want to go..._

"Hey," Jake's soft voice made him jump, and he spun against the railing, gazing up at him with wide eyes. "Whoa, easy, Boy Scout... What's got into you, 'cause it sure ain't me..." He teased lightly, frowning when Taylor hiccupped a half sobbed giggle. "Hey, look... I know whatever choice you make here will be the right one; whatever way you go... But, that look in your eye has got me worried. It's telling me; I might lose you. And I gotta tell ya, Taylor... I don't think I can handle that." 

Taylor closed his eyes, tilting his head as he choked for breath. "Say it again..." He pleaded quietly, his eyes stinging beneath their lids. "Say my name... Please."

Jake frowned, stepping closer and cautiously wrapping Taylor in his arms, brushing his fingers over his temple tenderly. "Taylor, what's going on..?" He asked quietly, nuzzling Taylors jaw reassuringly.  _"Please,_  Taylor. I need to know..."

Taylor choked, his heart faltering in his chest as he folded his arms around his pilot and pulled him into a desperate embrace. "Jake... I love you." He said brokenly, recalling the last time he'd seen the pilot in their broken lives; the mans stiff back and spiteful tone, now nothing more than a memory for himself alone, as Jake worriedly held him tight.

"I love you too, Taylor... But what's  _wrong?"_  Jake pleaded, freeing himself barely enough to meet Taylors tortured gaze. "Taylor..." Jake murmured, sweeping away the tears which clung to Taylors lashes with a small frown.

Taylors lips parted, his chin half rising uncertainly. Without hesitation, Jake closed the distance between them, kissing him tentatively; as if concerned he might break him. Taylors heart wept and sang together, a bitter swell of joy in his heart as his pilot kissed him with such intent affection, he thought he might cry. When Jake finally pulled away, Taylor panted heavily, his heart racing wilding as he leaned his forehead to the pilots. "Oh god... It's been  _so_  long since you kissed me like that..."

"You're so dramatic." Jake snorted fondly, brushing his thumb over Taylors cheek as he smiled at him. "It was literally, this morning. I know time's as fucked as a platypus here, but c'mon Boy Scout." He snickered softly, as Taylor offered a weak smile.

He drew in a deep breath, pulling away to meet Jake's clear eyes intently. "What if... What if there were another way?" He asked, biting his lip as Jake cocked his head and frowned at him.

"What other way?" He asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing as Taylor shifted guiltily. 

Taylor felt the words well in his throat, and he swallowed hard as he tried to fight past it. "What if... I gave myself to the Heart? The world would go back to normal, but... But, I'd be..." Taylor exhaled a shaky sigh, unable to force the words from his constricting throat. He looked up at Jake brokenly, who shook his head quickly.

"The world will be fixed if we do what Rourke says... I'll be able to introduce ya to my folks, my sister... We could find Mike, and the others, and it'd be like we never parted." Jake said, his clear eyes overflowing with anguish. "Please, Taylor... We could have it all."

"Jake, are you sure... you want to do this?" Taylor asked, his fingers curling into the pilots jacket tightly. "To trust Rourke is... It's a  _massive_  gamble." He warned, biting his lip uncertainly.

Jake embraced him tightly, his lips brushing against his ear as he whispered to him urgently. "I lost everything once already, please don't make me lose you too Taylor... I couldn't bear it." The pilot admitted, his heavy swallow audible as Taylor closed his eyes and held onto him fiercely.

"I know..." He said, brushing a light kiss over his brow. "I know." He sighed as he opened his eyes, to see Rourke slowly cross the rooftop towards them.

"Taylor, I know what you are..." He said quietly, as Jake pulled away, glancing between them uncertainly. At Taylors faint nod, the pilot backed away to the others, though his intent gaze remained locked on him. "I know you were cheated of a normal life." The older man said, his face falling in sympathy for Taylors obvious distress. "If you see Project Janus through... You'll be able to have everything you ever  _dreamed_  of, everything you ever thought you  _did_  have. You'll have a family, your friends;  _and_  Jake... You'll have saved the world, and everyone in it."

Taylor bit his lip, knowing he shouldn't be so tempted by the mans offer, after everything he'd put them through on the island and all the times he'd betrayed them.  _But, he's offering me a chance to really be with Jake... With everyone; and not as some sort of lie_... He thought, his heart heavy and his head feeling from the immensity of his decision; no less difficult the second time around.  _Please..._  He thought, as he slowly approached the crystal pillar _. I just want a life... A real life_. He paused, his heart faltering as he stood before the crystal. "Time is nothing... But a story we tell ourselves" He muttered darkly, his hand curling into a fist as he glared at the glittering crystal through his tears, thinking of the endless time he and his friends had endured together. "... You've got a deal, Rourke." He said tiredly, turning to see the man break into a huge, smug grin.

"Excellent." He cried, beaming at Taylor joyously. "I  _knew_  you'd make the right decision, Taylor."

 _"What?!"_  Estela cried , her eyes wide in disbelief as she stared at Taylor and shook her head. "Taylor, why would you..." She trailed off, her words failing her as she averted her eyes and swallowed heavily.

"We've been fighting Rourke this whole time," Craig cried, choking in his own wide eyed disbelief. "And you're gonna give him the  _world?!"_  He demanded, as Taylor flinched guiltily.

"Craig," Quinn scolded, frowning between the jock and Estela. "Everyone we know and love is dead. Wouldn't you do  _anything,_  to bring your baby brother back?" She asked, as Taylor winced, wishing his own intentions were half so noble as what Quinn believed them to be.

"It's for the best." Michelle said sadly, walking forward and folding her arms around Taylor supportively. "I get it." She whispered, kissing his cheek gently, before moving back to the group.

"But Taylor, if we go back in time, everything we've been through..." Diego said, reaching for Taylors arm and squeezing it tightly, as he frowned at him imploringly. "Our whole friendship... will be  _gone."_

 _At least this time I'll have a chance to revive it._.. Unlike last time. Taylor thought with a shiver, twisting his arm free to catch and squeeze Diego's hand, pulling him into a hug. "If that's the price, for getting your families back... I think it's worth it." He said quietly, releasing Diego as he moved over to Varyyn.

Taylor exhaled sharply, glancing at the swirling vortex above them, before finally turning to Jake. The pilots eyes glimmered with tears, as he desperately wrapped Taylor in his arms. "I'll find you again..." He swore fiercely, his voice breaking beneath the depth of his emotions. "You hear me? I  _swear_  it!" He choked determinedly, drawing back to cup Taylors cheeks between his palms.

Taylor swallowed thickly, his chest aching at the thought of the distance which would be between them once again. "... Not if I find you first, Top Gun." He said brokenly, eliciting a soft chuckle from Jake. When the pilot pulled Taylor in for an urgent kiss however, his cheeks were wet with tears. 

"I  _love_  you, Taylor." Jake said firmly, his fingers lingering against Taylors briefly as he stepped away from his friends and nodded to Rourke.

"I'm ready..." He said, trying to sound more certain than he felt about his proclamation. He blinked away his tears, his heart racing wildly.

"Very good." Rourke gloated smugly, gesturing to the crystal pillar. "Lets begin." He said, as Taylor placed one hand on the shimmering surface of the crystal, and extended his other trembling hand towards the Omega Mech, focusing on conducting Vaanu's energy.

 _ **"Taylor..."**_  Vaanu called, materializing to hover beside the crystal. " ** _If this is truly what you wish, I can do nothing but accept it._** " They said, the light within them beginning to swirl as ominously as the vortex above them. " ** _Goodbye. May your decision, bring you all you seek."_**

 _I just... want to have a real life_! Taylor thought desperately, his heart aching, as the light remaining in the pillar burst forth, flooding toward the Mech in dozens of undulating streams. Vaanu's crystalline body suddenly collapsed, crumbling into a pile of dust. An aura of brilliant green formed around the Mech, and the vortex descended, growing wider by the second. Swallowing heavily, Taylor turned to face his friends.

One by one, they came together. With their arms wrapped tightly around each other, they huddled in the face of the apocalypse. "Hang on... Just hang on, everyone." Grace warned sadly.

"Just like old times, huh?" Craig joked, trying to smile, but the gesture fell flat as his eyes fell upon Zahra beside him. After a moments pause, he leant down to kiss her passionately, choosing for their final moments together to be affectionate rather than fearful.

From across the circle of their friends, Diego's eyes rose to meet Taylors. "... Here's to adventure." He said quietly, as Taylors eyes filled with tears. He glanced toward Rourke where he stood just beyond their group, and for a split second, he saw a maniacal smile cross the mans face; and then, the vortex swallowed all.

Moments passed. Taylor wasn't certain how long exactly, it could have been seconds, or could have been years. Before long however, he realized he was still conscious. "... Hello?" He called into the darkness, though silence was his only response. "Diego? Quinn? ... Jake?"

More time passed, and still nothing changed. Taylors heart raced, his breath quickening as the darkness seemed to claw at him, leaving shallow wounds which wept fear and guilt into the air around him.  _"Rourke!"_  He cried desperately, his heart lurching painfully as he felt a spark of fury amid his panic. "We made a deal!" He growled, gasping as memories began to occur to him one after another.

 _"Ah!"_  He cried, a pain sparking in his mind as he recalled taking his first, eager steps as a toddler. His fathers reassuring voice while he taught him to ride a bike.  _"Kff!"_  He choked, as memories poured into his mind in the passing of what could have been just a few precious seconds. He recalled how his first kiss felt, the awkward flush of his skin as he pushed the boy away and apologized, quickly racing away before they could catch up to him; his heart racing. "...  _Aaah!"_  He gasped, as years of experience overwhelmed him, until finally; the darkness cleared.

Taylor blinked, as college students milled about a campus park, talking and playing games at colourful stalls.  _I know this place._.. He thought distractedly, his eyes widening in realisation.  _This is Hartfeld!_  He gasped, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked down at himself, to find himself dressed in a familiar basic red shirt and jeans. He frowned, trying to recall the moments which had led him to being in the middle of such activity, when he was distracted by a buzz in his pocket.

He took out his phone, frowning as he saw it was emblazoned with the spiralling Rourke International logo. He found a single new text message on the device, from a contact labelled simply as 'Mom'.

**Good luck on your first day, sweetie! Tell us all about it!**

Taylor swallowed heavily, his hand shaking as he was overwhelmed by a rush of overwhelming emotion, recalling a kind faced woman with red hair. _It happened... He held up his end of the deal. That means... I_ , I'm... He choked, his hand covering his mouth as he shoved his phone back into his pocket, his eyes stinging as joy swept through his heart _. I'm real_... He thought, closing his eyes as he allowed his emptions to swarm him.

He turned suddenly, intending to find somewhere private to ride out the emotional storm he was currently reeling from, when he crashed straight into Estela.  _"Oof!"_  He gasped, his eyes opening as he gazed down at her in surprise.

"Watch where you're going." Estela said flatly, looking up at him with a suspicious tint to her gaze.

"Estela... Sorry about that." He huffed, scratching his neck awkwardly as he grinned at her.

"Don't be sorry." Estela said dryly, as Taylors heart sang at her presence, overjoyed to have found one of his friends already. "Just  _move."_  She said, moving to brush past him with a last suspicious glance.

"Wait," Taylor called, frowning as he caught her wrist lightly, but immediately raising both palms in placation when she whirled towards him. "You don't... recognize me?"

"... No." She said after a pregnant pause, narrowing her eyes at him as she stepped closer. "Why would I?"

"I-" Taylor hedged, his eyes widening as he drank in her utter lack of warmth.  _Just like when we first met after the plane landed_... He thought, his face falling in realisation. "Right. I... must be mistaken." He said quietly, lowering his hands as he looked away, his heart sinking in distress.

Estela glared at him a moment longer, before turning sharply and continuing on her way. Taylor looked after her longingly, swallowing heavily as he thought of all the things they'd shared; which she could not remember. _She just... needs tine to open up again. I hope_... He thought, biting his lip as he began to idly wander through the fair. He looked around at the strangely familiar sights and sounds, the entire experience almost seeming as if he were remembering it from a dream. He blinked, as a woman in a yellow shirt turned towards him with a bright smile.

"Hi there!" She giggled, beaming at him joyfully, as Taylor choked in disbelief.

"Lila!" He gasped, rushing up to her nad taking her hand urgently. "Y-you're  _alive!"_  He laughed, his eyes alight with tears of joy at seeing his friend after so long.

"Huh?" She gasped, snatching her hand away as her eyes widened, beginning to shake her head when she instead broke into another bright smile and laughed. "Oh, I get it! It's a joke!" She giggled, as Taylor felt the smile fade from.his own face, his heart sinking. "Anyway, you look like someone who'd want to help keep the Empire great! Can I interest you in a recruitment brochure?" She asked, offering him a small pamphlet.

Taylor frowned, shaking his head lightly as he looked down at the piece of paper in confusion. "... Keep  _what_  great again?"

"You got me once already, young man, don't think you can fool me twice playing coy!" Lila giggled in amusement, gently pressing the pamphlet into his hand. "You know the rules as well as I do... After college graduation, everyone gets to spend three years in the Service. It's our way of repaying His Eminence for everything he's done!"

"His  _Eminence..."_  Taylor balked, his eyes wide as he stumbled back a step, his heart clamouring in his chest. _Don't say it... Please Lila, don't say it._.. He thought desperately.

"Emperor Rourke!" Lila giggled, shaking her head as she swatted Taylors arm playfully. "Your options are endless. You can earn glory and valpr in the Army, fighting alongside his Majesty's generals on the European front..." She said, ticking off her fingers one at a time, as Taylor looked at the floor, his throat tight at the overwhelming flood of information she presented him with. "You can join the Science Division, and work alongside visionaries, like Second Empress Olivia Montoya..." She added, as Taylors eyes snapped up to her, his jaw dropping as he realized that not only was Estela's mother alive; she was  _married_  to Rourke. "Or, if you've really got the skills... you might even have the great fortune of working for the Emperor himself."

Hot damn... I didn't think Rourke could love himself any more than he already did. Taylor thought, swallowing heavily as he blinked and puffed out a deep breath of air.

"I saw him once..." Lila said longingly, her eyes blazing as she thought of the man Taylor hated above all others. "Just  _once..._  And..." She sighed, losing herself in her thoughts.

 _I am getting such a bad feeling about this_... Taylor thought, his face falling guiltily. "Sounds like a whole lot of death, covered up by pretty words if you ask me..." He muttered quietly, causing Lila's eyes to widen as she glanced around nervously.

"Hey! You cant say that!" She whispered urgently, her eyes darting around them suspiciously. "That's treason! Hell, its treason to even  _think_  it, let alone say it!"

"What? You cant honestly tell me the thought never crossed your mind at some point in your life, Lila..." Taylor said, frowning as the perky girl blinked, taken aback by his calm rebuttal. "People shouldn't be punished for thinking, feeling or saying something... That's not the way of a leader, it's the way of oppressors. You're smart enough to know that... You shouldn't idolize someone who's needlessly cruel." He said, shaking his head sadly, as he turned and walked away, tossing the pamphlet aside carelessly.

As Taylor headed off to find his first class, he caught sight of Michelle, laughing with sorority girls at the Greek Life booth. "Okay, I'm not gonna lie... I was a little worried about finding people I clicked with here." The blonde said, as Taylor pushed his way through the crowd towards her, forgetting all about his class. "But I already feel I can trust all of you." She said, beaming around the girls brightly, as Taylor felt his heart lurch; knwoing what it would mean for the blonde.

"Hey, can I walk you to your class?" He asked suddenly, stepping up beside her with a shy smile.

"Urgh, I have a boyfriend  _thanks."_  She said dismissively, raising a brow when Taylor began to chuckle.

"I'll bet you do, a stunner like you." He said, noticing a faint touch of pink high on Michelle's cheeks. "I just didn't want someone so beautiful to have go walk alone, so, seeing as he isn't here right now, perhaps I can walk you over; and he can beat me up if I so much as look at you wrong?" He offered, grinning lopsidedly as Michelle blushed and looked at the ground.

"Hmm, well if you're thinking flattery will get you everywhere; you're  _way_  off the mark." Michelle finally snorted, offering him a brief flash of a smile. "But, as you're right about everything else, I  _guess_  you could walk me over."

Taylor beamed, half bowing as he offered her his arm, his heart dancing in relief as he considered that he'd made progress with at least one of his friends in this screwed up timeline. As he entered the lecture hall, Michelle slipped away to her seat, offering him a brief flash of a smile and a half wave _. One down_... He thought fondly, biting his lip as he slipped briefly, wondering where Jake might be; if he was perhaps in the army Lila had described.  _Not now, not now, not now._.. He thought firmly, shaking his head as he sighed and pushed the thoughts of his missing pilot aside. He looked around the lecture hall, to find there were only one seat left available, between Raj and Grace, and behind Aleister. His heart soared, and he strolled over confidently, sitting between Raj and Grace and offering both a smile.

Taylor frowned as Grave ignored him, her eyes focused on a small phone in her hands. "And now, a week after Blaire Hall's attempt to overthrow the Emperor, we can reveal she has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Here she is, being taken away now..." 

Taylor looked over at Grace, who wiped her eyes and quickly tried to hide the device, upon noticing Taylors gaze. He bit his lip, and rummaged in his bag briefly, drawing out a small pack of tissues and offering then to the dark skinned girl. "For what it's worth..." He said quietly, leaning closer as she accepted and took a tissue slowly from the pack. "I think that took a lot of guts... You should be proud, that she loved you so much she wanted to make the world better for you." He said, winking briefly, before sitting back in his seat, leaving the pack of tissues for her on the armrest between them. For a moment nothing happened, and then he heard Grace sniff. He glanced down to see a tiny grin curling her lips, as she took the pack of tissues gratefully.

Taylor smiled softly, pleased to have helped somehow after feeling as if he'd caused the girl so much pain already. He bit his lip as memories of their former history tried to burrow to the front of his mind, and he turned to Raj as a distraction. The large boy was busy browsing cocktail recipes, and Taylor smiled again, relieved that some things at least; could never be changed. "Heya." He said, beaming at the large boy fondly.

"Oh, uh..." Raj balked, quickly hiding his recipes as his eyes widened in surprise. "Do... I know you?"

"Guess not." Taylor snickered, winking at the large boy conspiratorially, knowing he looked like an idiot but unable to stop. "I'm Taylor; you're long lost friend, you never knew you had... apparently."

Raj laughed, his shoulders dropping in amusement as he beaned back at Taylor. "Alright, Taylor my man..." He said, raising a brow when Taylor offered him his fist to bump. "Raj Bhandarker."

"So, any big parties or anything planned tonight?" Taylor asked with a grin, though his cocky expression fell, as Raj's smile faded away.

"I  _wish._  Its Imperial Service week... and that means troops all over campus." The large boy sighed regretfully, shrugging his shoulders as he glanced at Taylor. "Gotta keep a low profile."

"Oh." Taylor said, lowering his gaze to his lap, as he felt Raj's disappointment keenly in his own heart.  _"Right."_  He said distractedly, his eyes falling on Aleister before him. He painted his smile back on his face, leaning forward and tapping the pale boy on the shoulder. "Hi there." He said warmly, only for Aleister to ignore him entirely. "Uh, sorry..." Taylor said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I just thought I'd introduce mysel-"

Taylor sat back with a frown, as Raj shot him a frantic look, tugging insistently on his arm. Are you out of your mind? That's the Prince Imperial! Raj whispered, his eyes wide as he stared at Taylor in disbelief. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of his way!"

"He's a person too, ya know?" Taylor said, frowning as he turned back to Aleister, who was watching the lecture with a haughty expression. After a moments consideration, he leaned forward again, clearing his throat to continue. "So, anyway, I'm Taylor... And, I was wondering if you might know of any good piano teachers? I was hoping to learn Chopin's 'Nocturne'..." He said quickly, noticing Aleister's pen pause midway to the paper.

Taylor swallowed heavily, while Raj helped and hid his face behind hid book of cocktail recipes, as Aleister slowly turned in his seat. "A humble barbarian such as yourself, play one of the finest classical melodies constructed?" The pale boy sneered, his cold eyes suspicious as he looked Taylor over intently.

"Well I mean," Taylor hedged, scratching his ear nonchalantly. "I like Beethovens 'Moonlight Sonata' too, but Beethoven's always seemed... kinda like a dick, to be honest." He finally huffed, tipping his chin thoughtfully. "Chopin's got  _way_  more class." 

Aleister eyed him fiercely a moment longer, before his lips curved almost imperceptibly into a grin. "Very well. Give me your contact information and I will inform you of my availability." The pale boy said, holding out his hand expectantly.

"Man, without even buying me dinner first?" Taylor tutted, shaking his head and smirking as he drew out his phone and handed it to Aleister to find his number himself. "Goodness me, whatever do you think I am, Mr. Rourke?" He asked, snickering at Aleister's amused huff.

"At this moment, I believe you're an idiot." The pale boy informed him, rolling his eyes as he traded their details between their phones and handed Taylors back to him. "Something tells me that isn't about to change anytime soon, either."

"Why Aleister, it's as if you know me already." Taylor snickered, his brow raising as he noticed a pink tinge to the pale boys cheeks, as Aleister's eyes met Grace's. "Hm, do you like piano miss? Would you like to come watch my lessons?" He teased, as Grace blushed and bit her lip shyly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Taylor." Aleister sneered, recovering his cocky attitude as he looked back at him with a curious frown. "Why on earth would a lady like herself wish to come and watch you embarrass yourself?" 

"Ouch, Aleister, very ouch. My feelings are infinitely hurt." Taylor sighed, fanning himself dramatically as he dropped his phone into Grace's lap and winked at her. "Besides, maybe she and you, might find yourself pleasantly surprised." He sniffed, feigning offense as he turned up his nose at the pale boy.

"You know, other people would have been arrested for the familiarity you're addressing me with." Aleister drawled, frowning at him confusedly. "Yet you're simpleton mind is not in the least bit afraid of me, is it?"

"Wait until I start calling you an asshole." Taylor said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, as Raj snorted behind his book. Aleister's lip curved, the briefest glimmer of amusement, before he returned his attention to the front of the hall, forgetting Taylor and his needling entirely.

Taylor blew out a giant, silent sigh, running his hand over his brow dramatically as Raj peeked at him in awe. "How the hell did you  _do_  that?!" He whispered furiously, shaking his head in disbelief. "That was so  _awesoooome!"_  He cheered quietly, his face plastered with a huge grin. 

Taylor smiled, accepting his phone back from Grace as she offered him a small, shy smile. "It's all in the heart..." Taylor hummed smugly, about to pocket his phone when Raj snatched it away and quickly added his own details. "You know, I think this is my new favourite class..." Taylor sighed, grinning as his chest hummed contently through the class. 

After the professor completed her lecture, which Taylor heard nothing of, due to his high from successfully bantering with some of his friends, the hall began to empty out. Taylor sat quietly, as Aleister paused by the door, holding it open for Grace as his cheeks coloured faintly. Raj quickly exited the other side of the hall, throwing a quick wave back at Taylor before he too disappeared.  _We can become friends again... I know it._  He thought confidently, feeling hopeful again for the first time since he'd first bumped into Estela.

He sighed, gathering his things and dropping his phone into his pocket, before trotting out the hall. " _In this world of cool deception... Just your smile can smooth my ride. These troubled days of cruel rejection... You come to me, soothe my troubled mind.._." He hummed thoughtlessly, barely noticing the odd looks he got as he left the campus and ambled idly along the paths, in no hurry to be anywhere in particular _. Maybe this world isn't so bad as I thought... I charmed Michelle, got Raj to calm down, Grace to cheer up and Aleister to smile. Maybe there is hope_... He thought, a soft smile playing on his lips as he sighed wistfully. 

Taylor looked up, and paused by a coffee shop, where he noticed a group of football players were gathered inside, with bags of ice plastered to their bodies. He slipped inside and his heart leapt in his throat, when he heard a familiar voice over the crowd. "They really aren't playing around, are they?" Sean said in disbelief, as Taylor worked his way through the shop to spy the athlete, sat beside Craig in a corner booth. "Practice in high school wasn't nearly that intense..."

"Relax, bro!" Craig chuckled, a wide grin on his face as he clapped Sean on the shoulder. "You're dad is freakin' Marcus Gayle... You'll kick ass." He assured, not noticing as Sean lowered his face and averted his gaze. "What's he like, anyway? His plays were all I watched growing up."

"He's, uh... fine." Sean hedged awkwardly, fiddling with a pack of ice on his elbow as he tried to avoid meeting his friends eyes. "You know. Just a dad."

"Ha!" Craig snorted, shaking his head fondly, as Taylors high began to ebb, his heart sinking in realisation of the athletes pain. "'Just a dad'.  _Right._  Just a two time M.V.P dad  _and_  a war hero!" The jock scoffed, ignorant of Sean's discomfort. "You planning on following in his footsteps? Hoping to go pro?" 

"Sure..." Sean said hesitantly, frowning briefly before pushing his thoughts of his father aside. "After my Service." He added as an afterthought.

"Man, I can't wait to join the Imperial Army." Craig sighed wistfully, gazing up st the ceiling with a wide, yearning grin. "General Lundgren is like, my hero!"

Taylor flinched violently, his eyes wide as he stepped closer, about to speak when he instead found himself glued to the floor suddenly. "You hear about those two pilots that deserted?" Sean said lowly, glancing around almost nervously. "Jake McKenzie and Mike Darwin?" 

Taylors heart lurched, his breath catching as he discovered his pilot was neither safe nor nearby; forced back into a life of running by Taylors attempt to stay with him. "Oh man... I can't  _wait_  to see what Lundgren does when he catches them." Craig spat spitefully, as Taylors eyes welled with tears, his heart sinking at the jocks callous attitude.

"He won't." He said before he could stop himself, stepping back slowly as Craig and Sean looked up in surprise. "That murdering sleazebag will  _never_  find them!" He said fiercely, before promptly spinning away and rushing out the coffee shop, desperate for air. He gasped, racing away from the coffee shop as if the distance might make his tortured heart cease its frantic and painful dance in his chest. _Jake... wherever you are... I hope you're okay_. He thought desperately, finally slowing down as he neared the colourful stalls he'd found himself by earlier. He noticed Lila looking faintly pensive by her own stall, but his heart was too tightly clenched to pay her closer attention.  _Should I give this whole college thing up, just go find him_? He wondered, running his hand through his hair as he desperately tried to catch his breath. He bit his lip, his foot tapping distractedly against the pavement, as he closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing pulse.

 _I'll find you.._. Taylor thought, recalling the pilots final words on The Celestial rooftop. _I swear it! I'll find you_... He slowly opened his eyes, swallowing hard against the rising hysteria and forcing himself to calm down. "Jake..." He breathed, looming up at the sky longingly.  _I trust you to find me, Top Gun... but now I'm scared what it might mean for you to. Please, stay safe... Keep him outta trouble, Mike_. He thought, releasing a long, shaky sigh as he lowered his gaze, and spotted Quinn, pacing as she talked on her phone.

"Mom, please don't..." The redhead said, twirling her hair around her finger in agitation as Taylor approached, a hesitant smile on his face; though she never looked up to see it. "I  _know_  Dad didn't tell you, but we only had an hour to decide, and you weren't..." She paused, biting her lip and closing her eyes as she drew in a trembling breath. "It's just important I do this for myself. Please, try to-" she paused, as a woman's voice could vaguely be heard through the phone, clearly yelling scathingly. "Ugh,  _stop!"_  Quinn cried, her eyes snapping open in her irritation, only for her fury to drain away moments later. "Fine. I guess I'll just... come home, then. Anyway, gotta go. Bye." She said quickly, hanging up the phone and rolling her head back, her face to the sky as she let out an exhausted sigh.

Taylor edged closer, clearing his throat quietly. "Are you okay?" He asked gently, as she gasped and stepped back, her eyes widening in surprise.

"W-what? Why wouldn't I be?" She demanded, her arms curling around herself protectively, as if she were genuinely afraid of him.

"I just, I mean..." Taylor hedged awkwardly, his heart heavy at the thought of having lost what had almost seemed to be a sibling-esque relationship with the redhead. "It just looked like that phone call was...  _less_  than pleasant."

"Oh.  _Yeah."_  She said, lowering her eyes to the floor as her face fell, her cheeks puffing out, as she frowned tiredly. "It wasn't really a conversation I wanted to have."

"I'm sorry to hear it." He said, breaking into a crooked grin. "I bet I know how to put a smile back on your face."

"Ha, if you can do that, I'm officially labelling you a wizard." She said, rolling her eyes as she shook her head dismissively.

"You asked for it." Taylor said, winking at her cockily. "Why can’t watermelons get married?" He asked smugly, grinning at her eagerly.

"I..." Quinn paused, blinking as she shook her head, as if surprised she were actually playing along. "I have no idea…" She admitted, raising a brow as Taylors grin magnified.

"Because they cantaloupe." He said proudly, snickering at the old joke, as a wide smile slowly broke across Quinn's face and she began to laugh at last. 

The familiar sound soon turned into pleased giggles, and Taylor felt his tormented heart begin to warm itself again. "That’s the  _worst_  joke I’ve ever heard!" She snorted, glancing at him from beneath her lashes, as she bit her lip.

"So I've been told..." Taylor hummed quietly, a flicker of amusement passing through him as he recalled the times Quinn had teased him for his bad taste in jokes. "I'm Taylor, by the way." 

"Qu-" she began, but was cut of by an abrupt cough, which sent her staggering forward. Taylor caught her gently, his brow creasing in concern as he looked down to meet her weary gaze. "I... need to go. Sorry." She said quietly, quickly turning and heading towards the dorms, her hair streaming in the wind.

 _"Quinn..."_  He murmured, his heart lurching in realisation. He closed his eyes, guilt and shame warring within him as he came to understand that his desire to have a 'real life' may have ultimate cost the life of his friend; restoring her Rotterdam's just as it reclaimed its hold on her life. _What have I done_? He thought, his every good thought and feeling from the day evaporating at the heavy price Quinn was currently paying for him to live.

It was with a heavy heart that he followed after Quinn at a slower pace, sighing as he headed off to find his own dorm. When he finally found where he'd been designated, he made his way through the block to the right building, heading inside to find the right apartment. He entered with a tired groan, only to pause in the doorway, his breath hitching as he discovered Zahra at her desk, watching a video on her laptop. "... the latest leaked footage from a Vaanti detention facility." He heard blare from her speakers, his eyes widening as he silently walked up behind her. 

Taylor could make out a blurry image of a prison camp, where a familiar figure, shackled in chains suddenly stood and addressed the camera. "Diego..." Varyyn called desperately, as Taylors hand flew to his mouth, a sharp gasp escaping him. "I'm still alive, and I remember... I  _remember!"_  He called, as tears filled Taylors eyes, his heart racing at the impossibility. "Find me, Diego! Find m-" Zahra suddenly noticed Taylor, and hastily slammed her laptop shut.

"What do you want?" She demanded, scowling as she spun around to face him. Taylor flinched, forcibly reminded of her original dislike for him when they'd first flown to La Huerta.

"Zahra... You're my roommate?" He choked, his eyes running over her as he shook his head in disbelief. "I mean, uh, nice to meet you..."

"It's  _not_  nice to meet me." Zahra sneered, flipping him the bird and glaring at him. "Don't worry, that's intentional." She said, smirking cruelly.

"I..." Taylor balked, his throat constricting beneath all the things he desperately wanted to tell her.  _But what was that? La Huerta was never supposed the exist here, but if the Vaanti are still here... If Varyyn... Then **something**  of Vaanu must still exist after all!_

"You can leave me alone now." Zahra said in a bored tone, spinning in her chair to return to her computer, ignorant of Taylors turmoil.

"Wait!" He pleaded urgently, his hand almost touching her shoulder before quickly deciding better of it. "Wait, please; where  _was_  that?! Where was Varyyn?" He asked urgently, gesturing towards the laptop.

Zahra frowned suspiciously, looking him over as if seeing him for the first time. She was silent for a long time, drinking in his wide eyes and honest desperation. "... From the look of it, I'd say it was the Rosenberg Estate, Vaanti Detention Facility." She said at last, scowling as if he'd torn the information from her by torture. "How d'you know a Vaanti's name..?"

"La Huerta really is still there..." Taylor said, shaking his head as he stumbled back a step, the weight of the shock he felt causing his racing heart to lurch dangerously. "I don't believe it... Varyyn, Seraxa, Taari... Uqzhaal. They're all here, they're alive..." He muttered, unaware of Zahra's intent eavesdropping. "But how can I get there? Have to find Jake and Mike first, then maybe they can help me figure out how to free them..." He mumbled, tripping as he shuffled down the hall to find himself a room.

"Hey-" Zahra called, standing from her desk and peering after him with a surprised frown, only for Taylor to half wave distractedly in reply.

"Hmm, see ya later... roomie..." He hummed vaguely, his mind racing as he began trying to understand what had happened to Rourke's master plan where La Huerta would never have existed. He found Zahra's room and turned to the one opposite, strolling in and dumping his things on the floor randomly, before rolling to his back on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling.  _What the hell is this place? What... what's happened to everyone?_  He wondered, only to wince at the immediate response.  _You know what happened... Or rather what didn't. Without you, their hope could never be realised, it withered and died and they never found the piece of themselves they were missing_. He thought guiltily, throwing his arm over his eyes as his throw constricted. In the privacy of his room, he wept for everything he'd taken from his friends, and for the selfishness he'd weakly given into once again.

It took an hour for him to sob out his grief, and after staring blankly at his ceiling for an unmeasured amount of time, he decided to take a walk alone around the quad, hoping the evening air would refresh him. He glanced up as a shadow passed over him, to a statue of Hartfelds founder; Everett Rourke.  _"You..._  you did this you arrogant  _bastard!"_  He spat, a hateful scowl marring his face as he flared up at Rourke's smug statue. "You rewrote history, and now there's-" he bit his words off, huffing in frustration as he swallowed thickly and lowered his gaze to the floor.  _Except... It wasn't just him. I, am as much, if not more to blame_... He thought, the fury in his heart fading, replaced by a dull stab of resignation and heartache. He looked up at the stars, his heart longing for his pilot and yearning for the other mans comfort.  _Jake, where are you._.? He wondered once more, recalling Diego's words from what seemed a lifetime ago.  _Even though we'll be miles apart, maybe we'll be looking at the same stars_... 

"You okay?" A voice called, and Taylor turned to see Diego, who was just standing up from a nearby bench. Taylor choked, his best friend seeming almost to have been summoned by his thoughts.

"Huh?" He asked, shaking his head to try and clear his lingering confusion, taking a deep breath as he felt his heart sing at the closeness of his once best friend.

"You just... looked upset. Are you okay?" Diego asked again, his eyes flitting between Taylor and thebstatue of Rourke. "You should really be more careful what you say... Not everyone would let it pass." He added in a lower tone, glancing around quickly.

Taylor blinked, swallowing heavily before huffing out an amused sigh, his gaze affectionate as he looked at Diego; remarkably unchanged  by the cruel world Rourke had created. "... Ever feel like the world didn't turn out the way you thought it would?" He asked quietly, his lips quirking when Diego giggled.

The olive skinned boy looked around guiltily, before smiling over at Taylor fondly. "Ha... does all the time count?" He countered, as Taylor laughed quietly, his heart lightening in relief. "Growing up, I figured school would be like High School Musical, you know? Wild parties, dramatic romances, showing up bullies, and a big climax at prom..." He chuckled, raising a brow when Taylor snorted in amusement. "Wanna know how I spent prom? On my own, at home, watching RourkeTube videos."

"Sorry to hear it..." Taylor said quietly, lowering his gaze to the floor as a lance if guilt wheedled itself into his heart.

"It's okay though." Diego said, shrugging dismissively, as Taylor looked up in surprise. "Because there's always another day, right? Another tomorrow." He said, and Taylor felt a spark of hope light in his chest, as Diego broke out into a huge grin. "That's what college is. A second chance to reinvent myself. To make friends, and find love and fight the good fight."

Taylor couldn't help but smile, shaking his head in awe at his friends untouched kindness and hope. He offered Diego his hand, his grin widening in joy as Diego accepted. "I'm Taylor." 

"Diego." He said, beaming a bright smile back at him. "Listen... I gotta head back and start on an assignment, but... Would you maybe want to hang out tomorrow?"

 _"Absolutely."_  Taylor agreed quickly, exchnging his contact information with Diego eagerly. He raised a hand in goodbye, and turned to leave, only to pause suddenly; looking back with a curious frown.

"Uh, don't take this the wrong way..." He hedged, unable to keep the broad smile from his face as he looked over Taylors curious expression. "But, I have this... weird feeling, like we've met before. Like  _maybe..._  we were friends?" He asked uncertainly.

Taylors heart stopped, his eyes flooding with affectionate tears of joy, at the thought that one of his friends may remember him after all. "Not weird at all." He choked, a giddy grin clinging to his face as his heart sang in his chest. "Honestly, I was thinking the same thing...  _assbutt."_

Diego laughed joyfully, and Taylor watched him go with the hope in his heart flaring, growing, consuming him. Gradually, his gaze returned to Rourke's statue. "Don't look so smug, Rourke..." He said quietly, his dark blue eyes blazing with newfound conviction.  _We beat you once... We can beat you again_. He thought, smiling to himself as he moved away across the quad, returning to his dorm and his bed; eager for the morning to arrive.

When he woke the following morning, Taylor felt himself almost vibrate with a renewed sense of determination.  _Are you ready, Top Gun? Todays the day we get started... If you're not already coming to me, I'll be coming to you soon_. He thought, smiling as he gathered his things and dressed for the day. He set out with a bounce in his step, not fussed about classes, but eager to meet up with Diego and redevelop their friendship. "See ya later, Snape!" He called as he left the apartment, barely catching Zahra's curiously raised brow as he hurried out the door and down to the quad, before quickly heading over to the fountain with the brightly coloured stalls from the day before.

Diego came running over a few moments later, a broad grin on his face as he pulled to a stop beside Taylor and they shared a high five in greeting. "Hey, Taylor." He beamed, his excitement palpable. "I meant to ask you before, how was your summer?"

Taylor paused, biting his lip to contain the small grin which wanted to blossom, recognising the opportunity to begin filling his friend in on their shared past. "... Not bad actually." He said slowly, glancing over at Lila's stall, the perky girl noticeably lacking her usual perk and cheer. "But, I dunno if you'd believe me... if I told you about it." He said leadingly, grinning when Diego groaned and waved his arms dramatically. 

"Okay, now I  _have_  to hear what happened." Diego cried, a huge grin spreading across his face as they began walking randomly along the path. "C'mon!" He pleaded, as Taylor laughed quietly.

"Well..." Taylor began, taking a deep breath as he thought back to the beginning of their adventures together. "It all started, when our plane got caught in a huge storm..." He said, slowly weaving the tale of their time together on La Huerta, as they crossed the campus together. Taylor noticed they were passing some of their other friends, and his heart leapt when some of them glanced over curiously, having caught a snippet or two of his colourful tale.  _Everything in its own time_... He thought, as the others began to tag along behind them, muttering about 'just like a dream I had' as they guiltily eavesdropped. Taylors heart swelled, as they crossed the campus and listened to his tale, unknowingly learning the history of their braveness, their courage, and their endless friendship.

_So foolish... To believe I had the power to defeat Rourke on his own turf. I just... I wanted you all to be free, and yet, instead... I threw you right back into the fight._

Taylor grimaced, stumbling back from a punch he'd not even tried to deflect, figuring he'd well earned the shot. "Okay, this is some sort of weird greeting thing... right?" Diego choked, his eyes wide as he looked between his friend, and the giant blue man before him; scowling at Taylor furiously. "Although if it is, I... don't think I really wanna say hello." He added quickly, pulling a pair of bolt cutters from his bag and quickly rushing across the room with three other roughly dressed recruits, where they began cutting chains quickly. Diego worked a familiar efficiency with the others, though he regularly cast curious looks toward Varyyn.

"Okay, so... I understand you're a little upset-" Taylor offered, raising his palms in placation to the Vaanti, as he cautiously took a step back.

"Taylor, I believe we are what Diego calls 'way past the point of upset'." Varyyn growled, gesturing towards his captured and chained people. "Look at us! Look at what the Hydra has done to us, because-"

 _"I know, alright_?!" Taylor yelled, his eyes glistening with grief as he stared at his one time friend tiredly. He lowered his hands and sighed, scratching his bandaged wrist awkwardly. "I got here as soon as I could, okay..? It just... This world isn't exactly easy to navigate when you're staging a revolution." He sighed, rubbing his brow briefly in defeat, as Varyyn slowly relaxed.

"How long has it taken you..?" He asked hesitantly, his eyes locking on Taylors various bandages and the open, bleeding cut along his shoulder. "And what-"

"I am not entirely sure how to answer that question... Suffice to say it's taken me two years to get here specifically;  _three,_  since I saw the video of you."  Taylor admitted, his eyes glancing toward Diego, to see his friend still busily cutting chains. "But honestly, catch up can wait... We don't have long. C'mon, help me get everyone moving." He said, stepping forward to clap Varyyn ok the shoulder briefly, before moving away to help the uncertain Vaanti to their feet. "C'mon, up you get." He said, heaving Uqzhaal to his feet and giving him a cane to lean on.

"Urgh, my poor back..." The old man huffed, hobbling across the tattered ballroom to the two awaiting vans outside. Taylor watched him for a moment, before turning back, blinking in surprise when his hand was next grasped by Seraxa. The green skinned woman sneered at him, accepting his aide long enough to find her feet, before turning to help the others. Taylor blinked, the woman seeming strangely small without her bone armour.

He forced himself to break free of his stunned stupor, clearing his throat as he gestured towards the vans. "Everyone get aboard quick, we have maybe five more minutes before Arachnid is gonna be crawling all over this place!" He warned, hurrying to help up everyone Diego and the others had cut free of their chains.

"Cat-a-liss..." Taari said quietly, and Taylor choked, searching the Vaanti quickly to find the small boys face light with hope, where he sat at the back of a small cluster of children. "I  _knew_  you'd come! Where is everyone? Where's Jake, and Zahra and Craig and-"

"Come on, Lil Blueberry..." Taylor said thickly, opening his arms and scooping the boy into a hug, picking him up and holding him tight, as his heart lurched painfully. "Let's get you on board." He said, carrying the child over to the nearest van and handing him to an already boarded Vaanti.

"Boss, we're running short on time man..." Richard warned from the drivers seat, the mans lone green eye glancing briefly to a clock, as it counted down its final minute and a half. "We gotta get these guys outta here-"

"And  _you_  need to get back to the barracks right after, no lingering this time Richard, I mean it." Taylor warned, clapping his arm briefly as Richard saluted him with a toothy grin, before Taylor darted back into the detention centre to help anyone he could to the vans. "C'mon everyone, get up and get moving! Tomorrow is a new day and you can rest all you want, but right now you gotta  _move it!_ " He cried, shooing people past hurriedly. "Diego, get on board, now!" He yelled, as Diego nodded and hurried away, with Varyyn close behind him.

Taylor looked around at the almost empty manor, nodding his head as he delved into his bag and drew out a package, carefully setting it in the middle of the room and flipping a discreetly hidden switch on the bottom. After lowering it gently, he scrambled through the building as fast as he could. "Okay! Richard, Estela! Go, go, go!" He cried, leaping into the nearest van and falling into a pile of bodies as the door slid shut.

"Tell me you remembered to set the timer properly this time..." Estela growled, scowling as she turned her jay and revved the engine quickly. 

"Uh," Taylor hedged, clambering into the front passengers seat quickly. "Would you like me to be honest, or would you like me to be creative..?" He asked, as Estela growled and began hastily revving her engine.

"Richard, get 'em outta here!" She growled into her communicator, flashing Taylor an irritated scowl. "The idiot forgot to increase the timer again!" She said, as Richards braying laugher echoed through her comms. "I swear, Taylor, sometimes you are just the  _stupidest_  son of a-"

"Hey, hey, less Taylor bashing!" He cried, helping her steer the van onto the track and away from the facility. "More hurry the fuck up driving!" He yelped, as the pair of vans sped away. 

 _"Woooo!"_  Richard crowed, cackling gleefully as he steered his vehicle smoothly away from the facility. "Boss, man, I  _love_  when you come on mission with us!"

"At least  _someone_  appreciates me..." Taylor groused, as he and Estela followed the other van, breaking through the trees just as an explosion rocked the ground and obliterated the facility.

 _"Yeeehaaaaw!"_  Richard cheered over the communicator, laughing freely as they fought against the explosions shockwave, and speeding the vans across the island Taylor had once called home.

"Still with us, Taylor?" Estela asked sharply, noticing him gaze distantly out the window towards the ruins of The Celestial hotel. 

Taylor swallowed against the bitter sting in his hardened heart, glancing at the dark haired girl and nodding mutely, as they sailed along the dirt track through the rainforest and headed back to their base. After an hour of steady driving, Taylor grabbed his communicator from where he'd left it before fighting their way into the Vaanti detention center. "Snape, how's it looking? We clear to head in? We are all full on passengers and-" he said, only to be cut short by an irritated voice. 

"If you say it again, I'm locking you out the bunker." Zahra snarked, and Taylor pouted, imagining the girls scowl. "You're clear, but you wanna hurry it up guys, my feed has five minutes remaining."

 _"What?!_  Zahra, we're never gonna make it back in that time!" Taylor yelped, his eyes wide as he shared a nervous glance with Estela. 

"Then stop complaining and drive faster." Zahra scoffed over the communicator, before her feed abruptly cut off.

"Zahra must really,  _really_  hate me..." Taylor groaned, his throat tightening briefly, before he forced his mind away from the memory it tried to recount; focusing on Estela, as she drove the van at break neck speed.

"Aw, c'mon boss!" Richard cried over the communicator, his joyful snorts of laughter almost easing Taylors panic. "You gotta learn to enjoy your work!"

"Shut up and drive, ya goddamn idjit!" Taylor cried, as the vans sped towards an open cavern on the far side of Mount Atropo. "Snape, time?!" He demanded, wincing and hurrying to fix his mistake. "Please, tell me how long we have now, please Zahra... Lich Queen ol' buddy, ol' pal... Best hacker, computer tech expert ever born-"

"Shut up already." Zahra finally groused, and Taylor laughed in relief at the embarrassment in her tone. "You got a minute and forty seconds." 

"Okay, we... may be coming in a little fast." He warned, glancing back at the wide eyed and terrified Vaanti. "Uh, you should probably all hold onto something..." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat as he faced forward again.

"This is why nobody likes driving with you." Estela said flatly, her hands flying over her dashboard as she adjusted the van and tried to prep it for a somewhat unorthodox parking.

"It is not my fault-" Taylor protested, only to fall silent as Richard cheered in enthusiastic glee over their communicators.

 _"Yeeeaaahh!"_  He roared, entering the hanger just ahead of them and swerving at the precise moment to swing to a perfect stop.

"I hate you, Taylor!" Estela cried, as they entered the hanger second, swinging themselves around as Richard had his own vehicle, narrowly avoiding the other van as they came to an abrupt halt.

For a brief second, the only sound that could be heard was the ragged panting of breath, as the vans engines rumbled; before a wall covered by rock rose up behind them, sealing the cavern away.  _"See?"_  Taylor huffed, bumping his fist to Estela's shoulder fondly. "Nothin' to worry about." He said, sniggering tiredly as she turned a murderous glare towards him.

"I am  _not_  driving with you again." She growled, turning her key and shutting off her engine as fast as she could, before hopping out the vehicle and opening the door for their terrified passengers.

"Oh, c'mon Estela!" Taylor called, grinning as he leaned around her seat to follow her retreating form towards the back of the cavern. "You know you love the thrill really... You'd be bored without me!" He called, sniggering as she raised her middle finger at him over her shoulder.

"Hey, boss, I heard there's a-" Richard began, strolling over to open Taylors door with a toothy grin, only for Taylor to roll his eyes and groan as he stepped out of the car.

 _"No."_  He said, jabbing the soldier in the arm and scowling up at his one green eye, the other covered by a black patch emblazoned with the logo of the Imperial Army. "No  _parties,_  no  _hookups,_  no  _drinking,_  no  _gambling,_  no  _scouting._  Get back to barracks, now... You know I appreciate everything you've done for us. But you can't keep pushing your luck like this, dude."

"Ah, boss..." Richard sighed, running a hand over his military cut hair as he pouted down at Taylor reproachfully. "You're such a buzz kill sometimes... But, you know you almost made it seem as if you cared about me for a minute there."

"I care about everyone involved in this particular brand of crazy." Taylor snorted, brushing past the soldier with a faint glare. "Doesn't mean I won't kick your ass if I catch you partying later." He called, as he jogged over to where the Vaanti were congregating. 

"Aw, boss!" Richard yelled after him, splaying his hands over his chest dramatically. "You're  _killin'_  me here!"

Taylor ignored the soldier, striding towards Varyyn purposefully. "Elyyshar..." He said, offering a weak grin as Varyyn flinched at the term.  _"Varyyn,_  all the crazy of the world aside... It's  _good_  to see you." He said, offering his hand to the Vaanti's king.

After a heartbeat, Varyyn sighed and slid his hand into Taylors, ignoring Seraxa's fierce scoff of disapproval. "I am sorry for my...  _outburst."_  The Vaanti said awkwardly, dropping his gaze briefly before meeting Taylors eyes again. "It has been hard on my people, surviving in this world."

"Honestly, its not much easier for us just at the moment." Taylor said, shaking his head as he gestured for the Vaanti to follow after him. "We've managed to break into a total of three facilities, but now that we've broken  _you_  out, I'm expecting everywhere else to have its guard  _tripled,_  at the very least." He explained, as he led them towards a large hall, where several people bustled about hurriedly.

"Taylor," Diego called, trotting over and glancing at Varyyn curiously, as the Vaanti lowered his eyes. "Dude, Zahra already fed the footage to the like, every household or mobile device... I think she finally hacked Rourke International's domestic server or something because, holy crow, it's  _everywhere!"_  He said, bouncing on his feet excitedly.

"I'm heading over to see her now, can you show everyone around?" Taylor asked, gesturing to the Vaanti following behind him. "I need to see whether she's managed to-"

"Cat-a-liss!" Taari called, bounding over to Diego and throwing his arms around his middle with a joyful giggle, looking up at him with his golden eyes wide.

"Uh, hi..." Diego hedged, glancing at Taylor uncertainly, before glancing down with a small smile. "It's uh, it's... Taari, right?" He asked, his smile growing as Taari grinned and nodded gleefully. "Well, how would  _you_  like something to eat?"

As Taari cheered eagerly, Diego led the Vaanti toward what roughly resembled a canteen. Taylor was about to turn away, when a hand settled on his shoulder. "May I walk with you?" Varyyn asked awkwardly, glancing after Diego's retreating form longingly, before looking back to Taylor.

"Uh, sure..?" He hedged, tipping his head as he made his way through the bunker towards a closed door wired to an alarm. He knocked with a sigh, rolling his eyes as he knew Zahra deliberately made him wait outside longer than was necessary, before the door swung open with a click. "Snape, what's shakin'? Did we get any Arachnids?" He asked eagerly, hurrying through a room strewn with wires and computer consoles in almost every available space.

"You're an idiot." Zahra said blandly, as Taylor huffed and pouted. "But, you did okay. We blew around thirty Arachnid units outta the picture. No sign of Fiddler though..." She said, scowling as she rolled a small stool across the room, travelling from one computer panel to another seamlessly. "Footage has been uploaded, seen by roughly seventy eight percent of the populace... and, General Lundgren has declared that the Imperial Army's gonna destroy you, and make a  _very_  public display of your execution; by the end of the month."

"Ha, Lundgrens too busy with licking Rourke's boots to actually leave the comfort of the palace." Taylor snorted, peeking over Zahra's shoulder to watch a video of Lundgren addressing a large crowd before the Emperors palace. "Hey, have you foun-"

"No. Stop asking." Zahra said immediately, ignoring Taylors tired sigh and the way his face fell at her harsh rebuke. "You should just face it, they're-"

"This is certainly an impressive force you've gathered, Taylor..." Varyyn said quietly, interrupting Zahra's rant and drawing her attention.

"What's with the..." She began, pausing as she looked at him closer. "That's the one..?" She asked, darting an uncertain look towards Taylor.

"Yeah..." He confirmed distractedly, running a hand through his hair as he pulled back from her shoulder. "This is Varyyn, and he remembers all about you so; he can confirm everything, if you want." He sighed, heading over to another console and tapping several keys quickly, bringing up a pair of files he'd perused many a time already. He ignored Zahra and Varyyn, as they bantered briefly, narrowing his eyes as he entered a set of coordinates into the machine and scowling at the flash of red he received in response. "Stupid-"

"Taylor!" He groaned as he turned towards the door, as a rapid banging began to sound through the room. "Taylor, get out here  _now!"_  Taylor looked towards Zahra pleadingly, only for the girl to raise a brow in return, her hand hovering over the button to open the door.

"You know, sometimes I really don't like you." He muttered petulantly, ignoring Zahra's amused snort as he strode towards the door and reluctantly opened it, peeking around the barrier sheepishly. "Er, hi-"

"Don't you 'er, hi' me, Taylor." Michelle said, scowling as he sighed and reluctantly left his safe haven of Zahra's central command post. "You know  _full well_  you're supposed to come see me whenever you get back!"

"Aw, c'mon Michelle, there's no need for me to waste your time..!" He said, offering a cocky grin as Varyyn curiously followed him into the hallway. At Michelle's disbelieving snort, Taylor glanced at the bleeding wound on his shoulder. "Okay, now see, there is a  _perfectly_  good explanation for tha-"

"Oh, I am  _so_  eager to hear this one." Michelle cut him off waspishly, folding her arms over her chest as she raised a brow at him expectantly. "Well, come on then, lets have it."

"Wait a minute," Taylor said hotly, frowning as he scratched his ear thoughtfully. "I'm thinking."

"Remarkable." Varyyn said, his eyes wide as his gaze flitted between the two. "It's as if everyone is the same... but they're also so,  _so_  different..." The Vaanti said, shaking his head as he stared at Michelle, her tight ponytail and trim green v-neck from the memories he no doubt held of the blonde.

"Yeah... Well, it took awhile for anyone to believe me at first, and some people were hell of a lot harder to convince than others." Taylor said quietly, smiling over at his friend fondly. "I admit... There were a few times I thought maybe they just couldn't accept it, that these dreamlike memories they had could be true. But I dunno its like, one day they just seemed to  _feel_  it." He said quietly, his hand settling over his heart, which he'd been forced to harden over the years.

"It is indeed a miracle." Varyyn said, his eyes lowering briefly before locking into Taylor. "How is it you remember so much?"

"Uh, excuse me boys, walk and talk." Michelle sneered, directing them towards the medical bay. "Taylors is supposed to come straight to  _me_  whenever he goes out, but instead I always have to leave my patients and come get his sorry ass..."

"Honestly, I think because I was the Catalyst..." Taylor admitted, ignoring Michelle's grumblings about him, though he led Varyyn along after her. "I think that although I was given a life, a family of my own... I was still a part of Vaanu originally, so, I kind of got made  _and_  lived all that time; all within those few moments before I found myself at Hartfeld. But, who knows, maybe I'm just destined to be different, whatever world I'm in." He snorted, hanging his head briefly, before frowning, coming to a halt as he turned to Varyyn curiously. "What about you guys? I mean, Rourke said La Huerta would have never existed, yet  _it's_  here; and  _you're_  here... Which, just so you know;  _very_  good things in my opinion." He said, snickering as Varyyn's expression brightened slightly.

"A fortunate development," Varyyn hummed, as they began to follow Michelle again, when the blonde cleared her throat loudly. "Vaanu remains, therefore we do. Our-"

"Wait,  _what?_  No, that's not possible..." Taylor said quickly, shaking his head and frowning across at Varyyn. "Vaanu crumbled, there was nothing left but ash-"

"Taylor, without Vaanu, neither La Huerta or the Vaanti would exist." Varyyn said, as they entered a well lit and moderately sterile room.  _"Somewhere,_  the spirit remains." He assured, as Taylor frowned and hopped up onto a small gurney without thinking.

"... Do you think it could help?" He wondered aloud, glancing at the thoughtful Vaanti. "I mean, if its done being dramatic..." He said, peeling his shirt off as Michelle stood before him and prepared several bandages, solutions and poultices.

"I... do not know." Varyyn admitted, his shoulders drooping as he looked over at Taylor regretfully. "I am sorry, my friend."

"No need to be sorry, Varyyn, none of this is  _your_  fault." Taylor said, averting his eyes to hide the obvious flash of his own guilt. He winced as Michelle dragged a small cotton ball soaked with antiseptic along his various wounds, before deftly stitching the long cut along his shoulder.  _"Ahem,_  so..." He said awkwardly, glancing to the corner of the room suddenly. "Uh, is-"

"Why don't you go see for yourself, soon as I'm finished?" Michelle asked, cutting him off abruptly as she frowned at him. "That way you can keep quiet and let me work." She snarked, raising a brow at him pointedly, before returning her attention to his injuries.

"I am  _so_  unappreciated." Taylor sighed, rolling his eyes towards Varyyn as he gestured back to the corner, where several curtains sealed off the area. "Do me a favour? Go see if she's awake?" He asked, a glint of nervousness in his eyes. Varyyn raised a brow in curiosity, moving across the room to the curtains. As he parted them, Taylor glanced at Michelle. "How is she?" He asked quietly, biting his lip as Michelle's face fell.

"There's only so much we can do." She admitted reluctantly, sighing as she stepped back. "I don't think... I don't know..." She said, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked over at where they could hear a surprised gasp and happy giggles through the curtains. "Taylor, I can't-"

"You did more than any of Rourke's specially trained doctors could do... You bought her time." He said thickly, an obvious weight adding to the already heavy burden on his shoulders, guilt eating away at his heart despite the hard steel he'd had to encase it in. "It's not your fault." He said, hopping down from the gurney and drawing the petite blonde into a gentle hug. After only a moment, Michelle pulled free, bustling away to check on the few other patients she had in her makeshift ward.

Taylor sighed, picking up his dirty shirt before grimacing and tossing it in the bin. Another one bites the dust. He thought, shaking his head as he approached the curtains, where light laughter and Varyyn's quiet voice could be heard. "Hey, havin' a party without me?" He said lightly, smiling as he pushed around the curtain and stepped up to a bed. "How ya doin', Ariel?" He asked gently, winking at Quinn as she giggled quietly.

"I could really go for some painting right now, but Michelle says I'm not allowed. She's so boring, always 'rest, rest, rest'..." She pouted, rolling her eyes as the monitors at her side beeped a steady cacophony of noise. "I see  _you've_  had a productive day though!" She giggled, weakly shifting her hand towards him. Taylor scooped it up quickly, pressing a quick kiss to her palm.

"Hey, I promised, didn't I?" He said, grinning at her lopsidedly, as his heart ached, bitterly wishing there was something he could do for his friend. "That I'd get us all back together?" He said, brushing her hair from her cheek.

"Oh?" Quinn hummed tiredly, her eyelids drooping as she was quickly overcome by fatigue, drained by her excitement. "Does that mean... I can finally meet your pi-"

"Shh..." Taylor murmured, his eyes stinging as Quinn's slid shut. "Sleep now. We'll come see you later, maybe sneak some paints in..." He whispered, setting her hand down over her chest and quietly stepping back, drawing Varyyn away with him. "She tires quickly now. We've done what we can but, ultimately... Her Rotterdam's is winning at this point." He said quietly, swallowing heavily as he closed her curtains and paused for a moment to collect himself. "... I should  _never_  have let any of this happen." He said bitterly, his hand curling in her curtain briefly, before he snatched it away and scrubbed it firmly over his jaw, turning away to head out of the small hospice.

"You were not to know..." Varyyn said gently, following along just behind him. "There were limited options available, and you made a choice none of us were able to. You cannot blame yourself for that-"

"No? Try me." Taylor spat, scowling as he marched down the corridor, shaking his head as bile crawled up his throat. "I should have known, should have just..." He trailed off, sighing as he came to a halt by a pair of thick blast doors, and ran his hand through his hair.

"Taylor..." Varyyn began, falling silent as he sensed Taylors mood shift suddenly, his grief forcibly pushed aside with a determination he'd perfected over the years.

"You ready to get some food?" He asked, grinning as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the pair of thick doors. At Varyyn's faintly confused nod, Taylors grin grew, and he grabbed one of the doors, pulling heavily to drag it open barely enough for then to slip through. He pulled the door closed behind him, and chuckled over the railing, raising his hand to show the door was properly sealed.

Instantly, music sprung up around them, causing Varyyn to jump in surprise as Taylor merely laughed. " _I'm going in for the kill, I'm doing it for a thrill_..." He sang, quickly trotting down the nearby staircase to find himself swarmed by dancing bodies at the bottom. " _Oh, I'm hoping you'll understand, and not let go of my hand..."_  He sang, shimmying through the crowd a moment, before turning to laugh at Varyyn's shocked expression. He grabbed the Vaanti's wrist, dragging him through the crowd to an open area, where a large kitchen sprawled before several tables, filled with curious Vaanti.

"This is..." Varyyn said haltingly, looking back at the dance floor and swallowing hesitantly.

"This, would be down to Raj." Taylor huffed, weaving them a path through the tables, to where a large man with an open shirt and his long hair tied into a bun atop his head, was dancing and cooking at once.

 _"Wooo!_  Taylors back!" Raj cheered, offering him his fist and bumping them together with a booming laugh. "And bringing a very confused looking blue guy with him." He added, looking up at Varyyn with his eyes wide in surprise. "Oh, shit... That's the guy, right? That's-"

"Raj, my friend." Varyyn greeted, smiling as Raj laughed and bumped his fist to the Vaanti's. "It is good to see you again."

 _"Woo!_  I didn't know this was turning into  _that_  sorta party, boss!" Came a loud cheer, as a shirt began to spin above the crowd, before sailing away.

"Richard!" Taylor yelled, scowling into the crowd blindly. "I said  _no_  partying! Get back to the goddamn barracks!" He yelled, growling in frustration when the only reply he received was a wild cheer of laughter from somewhere within the crowd. He turned an accusatory glare towards Raj, who held up both palms in placation. 

"Hey, don't go blaming me! He-" the large man protested, waving his hands before his face quickly.

"I  _blame_  you." Taylor growled, grimacing as he looked back to the crowd with a sigh. "That idiot is gonna get himself killed. He'd do better to just stay here in the bunker at this point."

"Don't be too hard on him, Taylor." Came a soft giggle from behind him, and Taylor turned with a smile, his arm rising to draw Grace into a tentative hug. "He can't help that he's just built to party." She said, laughing as Taylor gently pulled away. Her eyes glimmered with amusement, her long curls adorned with tiny blue flowers as she clasped her hands before a sleeveless yellow dress. "Honestly Taylor, you're not going to break me..."

"Hey, I don't have any experience with this sorta thing..." He said awkwardly, blushing as he pulled away. He looked up at Varyyn, who was glancing between them with a brow raised in confusion. "Grace is pregnant, and she finds it hilarious that I treat her so gently..." He explained, rolling his eyes as Grace giggled.

"Taylor it's only the first trimester, and you treat me like I'm either made of glass or about to explode." She said, smiling at him affectionately. "You're Varyyn, aren't you?" She asked, turning to the Vaanti curiously, as Taylor muttered to himself and turned to gather some food for the three of them.

"I am," Varyyn confirmed grinning at Grace broadly as he offered her his hands. "And I offer you my deepest congratulations!" He said, as Grace giggled and beamed at him. "I can only imagine how thrilled A-"

"Hey, Grace, you're okay with chilli, right?" Taylor asked loudly, his foot indiscreetly colliding with Varyyn's shin as he turned towards them with an innocent expression. "I mean, I can get Raj to make you something else-"

"Taylor, I'll be  _fine..."_  Grace sighed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Raj has already adapted everything he makes for me..." She snickered, smirking as she made her way to a nearby table.

Varyyn frowned at Taylor, as he shook his head briefly, before leading him to sit with Grace, setting three bowls down between them. "So, did I miss anything?" Taylor asked, peeking at Grace for a moment, before bending over his food and digging in quickly.

"Craig has been hitting the target practice all day... Sean's gone with him, trying to talk to him, but..." Grace said, eating her own bowl much slower than Taylor devoured his own. "He's... not really in the mood to listen still. I think he blames himself."

"I know the feeling..." Taylor muttered, his heart heavy as he thought of his friend. He shook his head, sighing as he rubbed his hand over his face and pushed his remaining chilli aside. "I'll go talk to him in a bit." He said tiredly, watching Grace delicately eat with a small twitch of his lips. "But, you've been okay? Michelle's keeping up with your checks and-"

"She's almost as fussy as you are." Grace snickered lightly, grinning when Taylor flushed and looked away guiltily. "Taylor, stop worrying. Take a breath, just... Relax for five minutes." Grace implored gently, as Taylor swallowed thickly, quickly pushing up from his seat.

"On second thoughts, I should probably go check on Craig now..." He said, glancing at Varyyn when the Vaanti rose to follow. "You can stay with Grace if you like, I know she's been dying for the opportunity to talk to you."

"Admittedly, it's as much because Taylor has taken me off all rotas and the only thing I'm actually allowed to do anymore is help Zahra; who really doesn't  _want_  any help." Grace said shyly, peeking up at Varyyn as she blushed. "But I have been looking forward to meeting you..." She said, tapping her fingers together in a nervous fidget.

"And I look forward to talking with you again, Grace." Veryyn said gently, patting her shoulder gently, before moving around to join Taylor. "But I would like to see this place in full, and still have questions to ask of Taylor... Another time?" He offered, smiling at her fondly as she giggled and grinned.

"I'll hold you to that!" She called, as Taylor and Varyyn turned away and moved across the hall to a small side door. Taylor pressed a button on the wall, and the doors slid open to reveal an elevator already waiting beyond.

"This place is amazing, Taylor..." Varyyn marvelled, as they stepped inside and Taylor pressed a button labelled with a large number three. "How on earth did you find such a haven?"

 _"Find?"_  Taylor snorted, shaking his head as he glanced at Varyyn. "We  _made_  this place... You'd be surprised what pissed off builders and architects can do in the space of a year. The hardest part was  _getting_  to La Huerta... But, it was worth it, its proven to be the last place Rourke thought to look for us." He said, shaking his head as he huffed in amusement. "Zahra hijacked one of Rourke's satellites, and we flew over here in stolen helicopters while she put a feed on loop. Hid what we could in the Threshold and then... Just kinda went from there."

"You've been  _busy..."_  Varyyn said, his eyes wide as he realised the extent of Taylors plight. Taylor shrugged dismissively, swallowing heavily as they ride the elevator upwards.

"Least I can do to fix what I broke." He said lightly, deliberately avoiding the Vaanti's frown. "Also, uh... Don't mention Aleister around Grace. He's currently under the impression that we killed her during a raid on a RourkeMart, thanks to the efforts of his asshole of a father. So until I can figure out a way to get him here and show him otherwise..." He said, clearing his throat as he unsubtly changed the subject. "I have a vague idea in mind, but its gonna take more materials than I have to hand at the moment. I'm hoping to get him here before the big day though, so I have some time at least." 

"Taylor... Grace is right, you need to stop sometime and recharge. Can you not trust someone else for a time, while you rest?" Varyyn asked, his frown deepening as he considered the various tasks weighing on Taylors shoulders. "Where is Jake? Surely he wou-" The Vaanti fell silent, as Taylors face turned blank, though his dark blue eyes flooded with grief.

Taylor swallowed heavily, his mouth opening and closing several times before he finally cleared his throat and coughed loudly. "... We don't know." He said quietly, willing the sting in his eyes away. "Wherever he is... We can't find him." He explained, glancing at Varyyn's shocked fave with a dry chuckle. "You know how stubborn he can be."

"But, you were-" Varyyn said, disbelief in his tone as Taylor chuckled, the sound hollow and without amusement.

"Yeah, well." Taylor croaked, clearing his throat again as he stared at the doors. "I guess this world must have missed that memo." He said, swallowing heavily against the ever present ache of loss in his chest. "But at least I can keep busy... And, if I can make things right here, then at least he won't have to hide anymore." He said, drawing in a deep breath as the doors opened.

Taylor and Varyyn exchanged a glace, as they were immediately overwhelmed by a furious roar and the obvious sounds of a fistfight. Taylor hurried forward, rushing around a rack of small pistols, to find Sean and Craig mid-swing at each other.

"He's stuck in there! And we're here; hiding like  _rats,_  while Taylor rescues the blue giants!" Craig roared, launching himself at Sean.

"He's going into high containment, man, you know that's a prison we can't get into!" Sean tried to reason, deflecting Craig's blow as best he could. "Taylors doin' everything he can to find a way in, and Zahra's spent the past two weeks trying to hack into their palace servers! They're doin' everything they can!" 

"Guys, come on, don't do this-" Taylor called, hurrying over and trying to get between them, only for Craig to swing for him too. "Craig, c'mon dude! You know I'm gonna get him out, just as soon as I-"

"When, huh?  _When?!"_  Craig roared, the veins on his neck popping in his fury and grief. "You're all talk, Taylor! When it comes down to other people having lost someone, you just don't care!"

"That is  _not_  true!" Taylor growled, dodging another of Craig's heavy punches, and quickly darting behind him, pressing his foot firmly into his friends bakc and pushing him to the ground with a scowl. "You know what, I get it; you're pissed, and I get it man, because I am too. I hurt too. With every single goddamn day that passes, it hurts worse and worse and honestly, I'm kinda runnin' on fumes at this point..." Taylor ranted, sighing as Craig rolled over to glare up at him uncertainly. "But, there is not a day goes by, that I give up. I don't stop, I don't pause, I don't let it beat me... Because if I  _do_  stop, then Rourke wins. Joey, will go to high containment and I'll have let you all down.  _Again."_  He paused, swallowing heavily before offering his hand to his friend. "Now, do you maybe wanna get up off the floor? And start fighting  _with_  me again?" He asked, as Sean glanced between them both uncertainly. 

For a long pause there was nothing but the heavy breathing of his grieving friend, until a sharp slap resounded through the chamber, as Craig placed his hand in Taylors and allowed him to pull him to his feet. "I know it took you a long time to see the world for what it was, Craig. I know it was hardest for you to let go of it, to trust me." Taylor said, drawing the former jock into a brief masculine hug, patting his back quickly before releasing him and meeting his eyes determinedly. "But I  _promise_  you, we will find your brother and we'll find a way to save him... And have I ever, broken a promise?"

Craig shook his head mutely, sniffing as he ran a hand over his hair in distress. "I just... I shoulda been there man, I shoulda been able to protect him." He finally croaked, his eyes heavy with tears as Sean settled a hand on his shoulder. "I shoulda-"

"You weren't to know." Sean assured, shaking his head as he rubbed his bruising jaw delicately. "Lundgren is crazy, man, nobody coulda predicted he'd take an entire school hostage; just to control their parents. It's not just your brother..."

Taylor drew back, guilt gnawing his heart at the reminder. "You guys should go see Michelle... And Raj made chilli, so... Go, get some..." He sighed, waving them away as he moved across the chamber and collected a pair of guns from the small shooting range, slowly returning them to their racks.

"Taylor-" Sean called, only for Taylor to raise a hand, his back to the pair as he tried to maintain his rigid control over himself.

"Go, I'll tidy up here and then Varyyn and I are heading back to see Zahra." He said, keeping his back turned as he heard the pair exchange brief mutters, before complying to his request. Taylor waited until he heard the elevator doors close, before he drew in a deep breath, turning to face Varyyn with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Three weeks ago, Lundgren invaded a school. Took every child, and promised the parents they would be released immediately... If my location, or my head, was turned in to him. There's... been a few close calls since then." He said, swallowing thickly as he gestured after his friends with a tip of his chin. "Craig's little brother, was in that school... Zahra's working on hacking into Rourke's system, trying to figure out where abouts they're keeping them within Rourke's palace. But, next week they'll be moved to high containment... and nobody comes back out of there, unless escorted by Lundgren personally." He said, choking as his grief finally overwhelmed him. "Honestly, I thought about turning  _myself_  in more than once..." He said, shaking his head as he turned his watering eyes to the target at the far end of the shooting range. "But then I think, what would Jake tell me to do? And I keep fighting instead..."

"And while that is admirable, Taylor, you still need to stop on occasion." Varyyn said gently, approaching cautiously as Taylor shook his head and wiped his eyes firmly. "You need to take a breath sometimes, to recharge yourself, give yourself time to-"

"To what? To pine? To cry?" Taylor demanded, scowling at the Vaanti as he moved away from the weapons racks and towards a door on the opposite side of the distant targets in the shooting range. "I've had enough  _time."_  He spat bitterly, growling as he shoved aside his emotions once more. "I've done enough damage, I won't sit around while there's something I can do to make it right again."

"Taylor," Varyyn called, hurrying to catch up to him. "You cannot take the blame for every misfortune which occurs in this world. Not everything is your fault." He said, frowning after his friend in concern as Taylor paused in the process of opening the heavy door, glancing back with a broken gaze.

"Watch me." He said firmly, before turning forward again and leading the Vaanti back towards Zahra's control center. "Snape," he called, rapping on the door quickly once they'd navigated their way through the corridors. "Can you-" he cut off abruptly, glancing at Varyyn as the door swung open before he'd finished. He stepped inside with a frown, to see Zahra bent forward over her console, her eyes locked on one of her screens as she typed furiously. "That's the quickest you've  _ever_  let me in, and I didn't even say-"

"Shut up." Zahra said flatly, her eyes never blinking away from her screen as her fingers raced across her keys.

"What is it?" Taylor said immediately, ignoring her as he hurrying across the room to peek over her shoulder nervously. "What-"

" _Shut up._ " Zahra repeated, her brow furrowing into a scowl as she focused over his babble. Taylor grit his teeth together, his eyes locked on Zahra's screen as she brought up a feed from the central promenade, outside the gates of the Imperial Army barracks. His eyes narrowed as Lundgren exited through the front gate, his posture indicating his  obvious excitement. "The General put out a national announcement five minutes ago, that he was going to execute a traitor at the end of today. I've been tracking this car from the airport ever since, and its in one hell of a hurry. Stop signs, red lights, pedestrian crossings; it's sped straight through 'em all." Zahra finally explained, pointing to a black, armoured car as it sped towards the barracks gates.

"Who is it?" Taylor asked, turning to another monitor to see Lundgren grinning smugly as he addressed the nation. He grimaced, not needing to turn the volume on to hear the mans condescending tone.

"I dunno, but its making the General a very happy man." Zahra said dryly, as a needle of fear pricked at Taylors gut. He looked back at Zahra's screen, holding his breath and clenching his fist nervously as he waited. After a pause which seemed to last an entire lifetime, the back doors of the car opened, and Taylors heart sank.

"That's..!" Varynn gasped, as two struggling men were shoved from the car to kneel at Lundgrens feet. Taylor exhaled sharply, his heart clenching with a fear he'd thought he'd buried.

"... Jake and Mike." He said quietly, swallowing thickly as he beheld the two figures which were familiar despite their blurring, who he'd hoped would find their way to him. His heart raced and ached with longing, but he couldn't bring himself to feel surprised. "When's the execution scheduled for?" He asked, his voice brittle as he tried to hold in his grief and heartache.

"Sunset." Zahra said, her fingers racing as she brought up a feed of the gallows, at the far end of the barracks. Taylor watched her other screen, where Jake and Mike were hauled to their feet and dragged through the gates into the barracks. 

"Where are they taking them?" He asked, pointing to where the feed cut out, just as the group of soldiers dragged a furiously struggling Jake and Mike around a corner. Zahra glanced back, returning to the feed and typing frantically to hack into another security feed.

"My best guess is..." She hedged, pausing as they waited a moment, before the feed of a camera aimed into the prison block flared to life on the screen, moments before light flooded the room and Jake and Mike were shoved into a cell at the end of the hall. 

Taylor stared, his eyes locked onto Jake's furious snarl, as the pilot glared at Lundgren hatefully. Despite the distance, Taylor could imagine every spiteful word, and he shook his head as his messy lurched painfully. He narrowed his eyes, leaning closer as he pointed to the cells opposite the pilots. "What the hell is that?" He demanded, scowling as he recognised some of the  _scared_  faces within. "What the hell are  _they_  doing there?!" 

"They're not  _supposed_  to be!" Zahra said, her eyes wide as she zoomed in on the screen, to the faces of several children within the cells. "They're  _supposed_  to be in the palace..." She muttered darkly, typing furiously as Taylor narrowed his eyes determinedly.

"Get Richard outta that damn party, kill the power if you have to." He aid firmly, drawing in a deep breath as he stepped back. "Tell him to get to the hanger and prep the helicopter. And tell Craig, Sean and Lila to meet us there in ten minutes." He ordered, moving o er to the door, only to pause and glare back at her. "And find out why the  _hell_  those kids are there!" He barked, before breeding through the door and running down the hall to his quarters.

He grabbed a spare bag, dumping it on his cot as he grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head blindly, his heart thundering in his chest.  _Three goddamn years you manage to hide, what the hell did you do to get yourself caught now_? He thought furiously, grabbing a lockpick, a pair of bolt cutters and a miniature flamethrower which Raj had made for him.  _After all this time_... He thought, his hand rising to his chest, as he finally allowed a small flicker of hope to blossom within his heart, a soft hiccup escaping him. 

"Taylor," Varyyn called gently from his door, watching as Taylor flinched guiltily and began stuffing his things in his bag quickly. "You should not-"

"I am gonna get quite enough of that from everyone else, so if you could spare me that speech, that'd be great." Taylor said lightly, grabbing a coil of rope and looping it over his shoulder, before finally grabbing a small sheathed knife from his drawer and shoving it in his boot, hiding it beneath his trouser leg. "Anyway, I got places to be, people to save and ya know, stuff to blow up." He said, grabbing his bag and gently easing Varyyn from his doorway.

"Taylor, slow down. You should think this through, this has all happened so fast. You should not trust either the Hydra or the Spider-"

"I know that, Varyyn!" Taylor cried, raising his hands to his hair as he sighed and finally turned towards his friend. "I  _know,_  that this is too sudden! I  _know,_  that this is awful convenient! But I also know that there's a bunch of kids in that prison, and even if they hadn't just taken the love of my many,  _many_  lives in there; I would  _still,_  be going." He rasped, venting his frustration, his fear and his guilt all in one. He swallowed thickly, swinging his bag over his shoulder and turning towards the hanger again. "I  _can't..._  I can't just watch him die, Varyyn. Not again. Not in  _this_  world." He said, drawing in a deep breath as he forced his legs to begin carrying him forward again.

"Taylor, you are being foolish." Varyyn warned with a sigh, jogging to catch up to him quickly. "You must think as a leader now, these people depend on you, on what you've built here..."

"They'll survive." Taylor insisted, determinedly avoiding the Vaanti's gaze as he strode confidently into the hanger. "If anything happens to me, they can keep going now. Jake can lead them if need be." He said distractedly, openingthe door of a van covered in strange diode's and wires, and tossing his bag inside.

"But it is  _you_  these people follow, believe in!" Varyyn protested, catching Taylors arm before he could turn away. "Taylor, you cannot be so reckless. You cannot weigh the many against the one and-"

"Don't tell me to let him die, Varyyn." Taylor said quietly, his eyes darting across the Vaanti's shoulder before returning to his troubled golden eyes. "Not  _you._  Not when I know what your choice would be for Diego." He said, tipping his chin up determinedly.

Varyyn grimaced, sighing as he released Taylor reluctantly. "You have learnt to fight dirty, my friend." The Vaanti accused, as Taylor shrugged his shoulder dispassionately.

"We  _all_  have." He said, clapping his friend on the shoulder briefly, before moving across the hall.

"Boss, man, I  _swear,_  I was  _just_  about to-" Richard called, his hands running over his hair and his shirt slung over his shoulder as he approached with a guilty grin.

"Change of plans," Taylor said quickly, waving his hand dismissively. "We're raiding the barracks." He said, gesturing to the helicopter beside them as Richard began to choke, breaking out in a loud bray of laughter.

"Oh boss, you're  _good!_  You almost had me believin-" Richard quieted, as Taylor climbed into the helicopter and began the crafts powering up himself. "Wait, you're serious? What the hell happened?"

"They just brought in some prisoners, scheduled for execution at sunset, and I don't intend to let them." Taylor debrief quickly, glancing over at the doors when Craig and Sean came racing through. "When we hacked the security feed, we found they had the kids in the barracks cells."

 _"What?!"_  Craig cried, his eyes wide in surprise as he gazed up at Taylor in disbelief. "You're serious? I thought Z said they were in the palace!" He said, hurrying alongside Sean to collect their own gear.

"Yep, well, apparently Rourke didn't want a bunch of commoners fouling up his precious palace." Taylor groused, hopping out of the helicopter and turning towards Richard. "Look, I know this is a lot to ask. It'd be the end of you ever returning..." He said, clicking his tongue thoughtfully. "I understand if you'd rather skip-"

"Are you shittin' me, boss?" Richard asked, grinning at him toothily and winking his one eye. "This place is  _way_  more fun anyway." He snorted, moving around Taylor and swinging into the pilot seat. "So what's the plan, boss?" He asked curiously, flipping switches and dials expertly.

"We're gonna test out Zahra's masterpiece." Taylor said, grinning as he tipped his head toward the van he'd dumped his bag in. Richard cackled with laughter, shaking his head as he turned back to his controls, as Taylor turned towards the opening door at the end of the cavern. "Lila..." He greeted, as the cheerful girl headed over with a bright smile.

"Taylor, what's going on?" She asked, as she wrapped him into a tight hug. "Its not often you ask me to come out with you guys..." She said, looking around in confusion.

"Yeah, well... Not everyday we decide to break into the Imperial Army barracks." Taylor quipped, as Lila gasped and stared at him in wide eyed surprise.

" _No way._ " She choked, her eyes running over him, assessing him for dishonesty. When she found none, she giggled and beamed, her hands gripping his shoulders excitedly. "Oh my god! This is gonna be so much fun!" She cried, bounding off to gather some things together quickly.

"Dude, sometimes I dunno which of you two is crazier..." Taylor turned with a grin at Diego's snort of amusement, raising a brow at his friends readied bag. "What? You didn't think I'd let you go  _alone,_  did you?" He scoffed, as Taylor rolled his eyes.

"Hmm, I figured you'd stick your nose in if you found out what was happening." He said, winking at his friend, who gazed up at him suspiciously. "Lucky for me, I have backup readily available.  _Varyyn!"_  He called, laughing when Diego turned red and spun around quickly, to see the Vaanti appear from where he'd been helping Sean and Craig into some armour. "Do me a favour, make sure Short Stuff here doesn't get on the chopper." He said, smirking when Diego turned back to him with an accusing glare.

"You know that is unfair! I don't... He-" Diego stammered, raising a finger to jab at Taylors chest in irritation. "You  _cheated."_  He said, biting his lip as he glanced back at Varyyn nervously.

"Look... I can guarantee his feelings haven't changed in the slightest towards you." Taylor said quietly, noticing the Vaanti's faint blush as he cast recurring brief glances towards Diego. "So, spend some time with him and just... Let it happen dude. You always wanted a romance that stole your breath, right? Trust me when I tell you, there isn't anyone can love you as much as Varyyn already does." He said, clapping Diego on the shoulder briefly, before moving away to begin prepping the van. "Craig, Sean, c'mon! Lets get this thing hooked up already, we're on a timer here guys!" He called, as Lila skipped over and dropped her own bag into the front passenger seat.

"Just what sorta timer we on here, Taylor?" She asked curiously, as she began discreetly hiding weapons in a wide variety of places on her body.

"Um, the execution is set for sunset so..." He hedged, glancing at his watch and wincing slightly. "Maybe two hours..? After travel time!" He said, trying to sound cheerier than he felt as Lila paused and glanced over at him.

The perky girl looked him over quickly, before snorting and returning to her mission to hide weapons wherever she could. "No wonder you sent for me." She huffed, shaking her head lightly. 

"Lila, I don't want people to die, if they don't have to... You know that." He said, frowning at her as she giggled and rolled her eyes. "But, I have to admit... You're our best chance at getting in; or more to the point  _out."_

"Hey, what am I?" Richard demanded from.the helicopter, grinning as he slipped on his communicator and gave them a thumbs up to show he was ready.

"An idiot." Taylor called flatly, slipping his own communicator over his ear as Sean and Craig came jogging over. "Zahra, skylight please. We're ready to go."

"You're insane." Zahra said dryly over their communicators, as Craig and Sean snickered with each other. "Like, literally insane. I don't know why I ever agreed to join this stupid-"

"'Cause ya love me?" Taylor interrupted, quickly frowning when Zahra burst out laughing over their communicator. "Yeah, okay, laugh it up. Fine, its because I gave you unlimited opportunity to hack Rourke's every database and system, and allow you to do pretty much anything you want." He sulked, scowling as the skylight finally began to open at his confession.

 _"Wooo!"_  Richard crowed, as the helicopter blades began to rotate slowly. "Lets get this party started!" He cried, as Craig gave Sean a boost, helping him up to the roof of the van; while Taylor tossed a thick, rolled strap beneath to Lila's waiting hands. They tightened it behind the front wheels, passing each end up to Sean, who latched them carefully into a clip, while they did they same with another strap, carefully wedged just in front of the rear wheels. Once Sean had completely set the harness with both front and rear straps, he crouched low over the roof of the van and waited for Richard to carefully raise the helicopter from the ground. As he hovered in the air, Taylor backed the van beneath the helicopter, allowing Sean to secure the vehicle beneath it carefully, before swinging over the edge into the side of the vehicle.

"Why, do I get the feeling I am not gonna like this plan?" The former athlete asked, as Craig slammed the door shut. "Assuming, of course, that you're gonna fill us in... before we actually get to the barracks."

"Take us up, Richard." Taylor called, noticeably ignoring Sean for ankoment, as he concentrated on the straps beneath them creaking, but ultimately holding their weight. "Uh... I'm sure it'll come to me." He said hesitantly, glancing back as his friend sighed and shook his head.  _"Hopefully."_  He coughed, glancing away as Richard began to cackle, and lifted them carefully through the skylight and set them on a course towards the mainland. "Okay, well... we got a long flight so, rest up, load up and uh... try not to throw up." He sighed, getting comfortable in his chair as he scrubbed his hands over his face.

For the next two hours they prepped themselves as best they could, loading weapons, counting ammunition and preparing smoke bombs. When they almost to the Providence, Taylor sat himself in the drivers seat and reattached his communicator. "You guys should probably hold on to something..." He warned, drawing in a deep breath as he pressed a button Zahra had wired into the van. "Richard, we good?" He asked, as the pilot whistled and cackled with glee.

"Boss, man, that is some trippy shit..." He chuckled over the communicator, though Taylor could tell he was impressed. "You ready to go down?" He asked, as Taylor gripped the wheel tightly.

"Yeah," he said, his heart leaping into his throat as he noticed the pilot draw the helicopter to a slow hover, descending slightly towards the rough road below them. "Get to the city, wait three hours at the pad at the RourkeMart. If we're not strapped on by then... Head back to the bunker." He said, drawing in a deep breath to steady his nerve.

"Oh man, I knew I wasn't gonna like this..." Sean sighed, as he and Craig braced themselves as best they could in the back of the van.

"Oh god, I always knew you were crazy! I should have never let you talk me into this!" Lila babbled, her eyes wide as she stared down at the ground, still a moderate distance below them.  _"Please_  don't let me die like this..." 

"How is it you're fearless about breaking in the barracks, but not about this?" Taylor huffed, glancing over as he rest one hand on the gearstick and kept his other wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. "Don't think of it as falling, think of it as... Uh, sailing. You know,  _downwards."_

"Oh my god, I'm gonna die..." Lila cried, checking her seatbelt was tight as Taylor exhaled a sharp breath.

"Okay, Richard!" He called, his knuckles turning white from his tight grips. "Let us loose!" He cried, as Richard cheered wildly over the communicator.

 _"Whoooweee!"_  Richard crowed, as the straps connected to the helicopter clicked free, allowing the vehicle to sail across the moderate distance towards the ground. "See y'all in three hours, boss!"

"Taylor, Taylor, the ground!  _Taylor!"_  Lila cried, as though she thought he might not be able to see the rapidly approaching earth below.

"I'm aware of the ground, Lila!" He yelled back, closing his eyes tightly as they hit the ground and bounced a single time. He peeked through his lashes, turning to peer through the window at the barely rising dust. "See, what'd I tell you? Nothing to worry about." He huffed, glancing into the back at Sean and Craig's groans, to find them half sprawled on the floor.

"You literally, never said that, brah." Craig scoffed, rolling his eyes as he and Sean helped each other back to their feet.

"Ahem..." Taylor coughed, starting the engine and revving the  _engine_  cautiously. "Some people have no appreciation." He muttered, kicking the van into gear and driving them carefully along the path, soon joining a road, which led to a large walled compound in the distance. "Okay, forty minutes guys..." He said, attempting to ignore the nervous flutter in his stomach.

"How do you know that?" Sean asked suspiciously, holding onto the back of Taylors seat, as he frowned at him. "And how'd you know about the RourkeMart? Or-"

"Okay fine, so I may have been preparing to raid the barracks at one point..." Taylor finally confessed, scowling at the road as he drove them forward. "But, it turned out I took too long... so, I never did, til now." He said firmly, glancing up between Craig and Sean, before looking forward again and stubbornly locking his jaw.

"Taylor, man..." He sighed, glancing to Craig as the former jock's face fell, his hand patting Taylors shoulder supportively. 

"You saved more people than I can count Taylor. I was outta line earlier..." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat quickly. "Your parents, bro... It weren't your fault."

 _Yes it was... It was always my fault._  Taylor thought, though he wisely kept his opinion to himself. He cleared his throat and shifted the van into a higher gear, increasing their speed. "... Make that twenty minutes." He said, his voice hoarse as he contained his emotions. "Gear up." He ordered, and after a brief moment to exchange glances, they both turned to prepare themselves.

"So, I'm guessing that you want me to open the gates?" Lila said, hooking a rams mask, complete with twisted horns over her face. Taylor glanced over at the mask, his fingers clenching tightly around the wheel briefly as he thought of the first time he'd seen such a mask; on the Vaanti during their first meeting, many lifetimes ago.

"Uh, yeah." He said, snapping himself from his thoughts and refocusing on the road. "We're gonna kill the engine and coast through as far as we can... But we'll be coming out fast, so be ready to jump in quick through the side door; we'll keep it open for you." He warned, as Lila nodded sharply and rummaged through her bag for several last minute additions to her hidden arsenal.

The remainder of the drive passed in silence, a tense atmosphere building around them as the gravity of their task struck them hard. _Don't start panicking now_... Taylor warned himself, as his heart began to hammer awkwardly against his chest.  _Get in, get people, get out. Don't panic_. He thought, glancing around his friends and swallowing heavily as he tried to hide his nerves away within his hardened heart. 

"Okay, get as close as you can to that wall..." Lila said as they finally approached, pointing to the side wall, just before it turned to the front corner; the gatehouse just a short distance further along. Taylor did as she bid, leaving barely enough space for the perky girl to open her door. "Okay, give me five minutes!" She said lowly, clambering up the door to the roof, before quickly disappearing onto and then over the wall.

"Man, I gotta tell you guys...." Sean murmured, his owl mask obscuring his face. "I am  _not_  enjoying being this close to Lundgren." He said, as Taylor slowly drove the van away from the wall, redirecting it in a short semi circle so it was facing the gate ready for when Lila let them in.  _C'mon, Dimples_... He thought pleadingly, his fingers tapping nervously against the wheel, as he kept his foot on the accelerator ready for her move.

"Bro, you don't think she-" Craig whispered, and Taylor glanced up at his wolf mask, just as the gates opened for them. "Never mind." He muttered, as Taylor quickly urged the van through the gates, trying his best to keep the noise down. As soon as they were through, the gates changed direction, closing behind them and buying them some extra time to evacuate the prison.

"Okay..." Taylor breathed, licking his lips as he turned them around the gatehouse, and killed the engine. "Hold onto your butts..." He murmured, instead holding his breath as the van continued to roll down the faint decline of a hill. They crawled past outposts, past military training areas and past what looked to be a medical tent. "Open the side door." He said quietly, his eyes darting around the area nervously, disliking the quiet of the compound. He drove the van as close to the prison as he was able, finally applying the handbrake when the side door lined up with the doors almost perfectly. "Okay, Sean, you got the wheel." He said, unbuckling and moving through to the back of the van, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder as Sean slid into the drivers seat and Craig opened the prison doors, allowing him to slip inside.

His heart lurched in his chest, the scared chattering of children filling his ears as he forced himself to move through the building. He grabbed the flamethrower from his bag and handed it to Craig, the former jock hurrying to the cells where the kids were contained and beginning to burn through the lock.

Taylor swallowed, his legs feeling numb as he walked towards the furthest cell, where two shadows could be seen within. "So, I heard there were a couple of mighty fine pilots being held in here..." He said leadingly, his lips twitching as his heart leapt higher into his throat with every step closer he took. "Seems like it'd be a shame to waste such skills." He said, finally pausing before their cell door, as Craig blew through the first lock, instructing the children within to quietly and carefully jump in the van right outside the doors.

His heart lurched painfully, as Jake and Mike slowly pushed to their feet, glancing at each other uncertainly. "We know you, Kid?" Mike asked, as Jake's clear eyes ran over him distrustfully.

"Oh... You could say that, I guess." He said, his lips twitching as he recalled the various times he'd said similar to his other friends. "But we really don't have time for pleasantries. You want out, or you wanna be executed in... Oh," he paused dramatically, glancing at his watch and clicking his tongue in feigned surprise. "Half an hour..?"

"Taylor!" Craig called, tossing him the flamethrower as he broke open the second cell and hurried to send the kids inside towards the van. "Stop flirting and get 'em in the van, brah!" He said scathingly, scooping up a small girl who was struggling to walk and rushing through building to help her into the van.

"I swear, I get  _no_  respect." Taylor huffed, scowling after his friend as he fired up the flamethrower. "Uh, you might wanna stand back. This thing packs a hell of a punch." He warned, as he brought the flame to the metal and winced at the bright light it expelled, as it burnt through the lock.

"Shit!" Jake cried, raising his arm over his eyes. Taylors heart crashed against his ribs at the sound of his rough voice, his hand trembling a moment, before he forced it to remain steady and continue on with its task.

"Right," he said, turning the flamethrower off as the cell door popped and sprang forward. He pulled it open fully, raising a brow as he gestured towards the open prison doors. "You comin'? Or do you really wanna find out what Lundgren has planned for you?" He asked, as the pair exchanged a glance again and slowly laced their hands together. Taylors gaze locked onto the intimate gesture, his throat squeezing shut as his heart sank like a stone in his chest _. All this time I thought he just couldn't come for me... But, what if he never intended to_..? The thought passed through his mind before he could control it, and he winced as he stepped back from the cell, swallowing heavily as his eyes stung. "Uh, look, we really do have all of, sixteen minutes left now... If you could just get in the damn van; I can let you out wherever you want." He said, his voice thick as he turned abruptly and moved towards the door.

"Hey," Jake called, as the pair stepped out of their cell together. Taylor glanced back over his shoulder, his stomach churning with nausea and an irrational sense of betrayal. "I know you?" He asked uncertainly, as they followed after him slowly. 

Taylor looked up at the pilots caught up to him, his eyes dancing between Jake and Mike briefly, before he averted his gaze entirely. "No." He lied, swallowing the thick bile at the back of his throat and shaking his head slowly. "No, we've never met." He said, stalking forward ahead of them and jumping into the truck, sliding into the passenger seat quickly as the pair climbed aboard. "Sean, take us out." Taylor said quietly, turning to gaze out the window, his head resting against the cool glass as his head ached from the overwhelming desire to cry.  _Once we're back, and I'm alone, I can break. Not here, not like this. Not now._  He thought, firmly locking his grief away as Sean took a moment, before turning the key and gunning the engine to life.

The former athlete threw the van into reverse, the vehicle lurching backwards and turning sharply, before he shoved it into gear and drove them back up the slight hill towards the main gate. 

"Hold on!" Taylor warned, gripping the dashboard as soldiers began to pour out of the nearest buildings, confused looks on their faces as some stepped onto the road. With a sickening thump, four bodies went sailing over the van, the other soldiers beginning to open fire randomly in their shock. As they approached the gate, Taylor saw then opening ready for them, and moments later, he caught sight of Lila racing towards them. She leapt into the side of the van, Craig hurriedly slamming the door behind them as Lila panted and groaned, several children screaming in fear. "Lila!" Taylor cried, scrambling into the back as he saw the blood soaking through her shirt. 

"Joey, little man, don't look..." Craig said quietly, his arms around a small boy who had buried his face in the former jocks chest. Taylor grabbed the first aid kit from beneath the passenger seat, throwing it open beside the perky girl and quickly finding bandages and antiseptic.

"Taylor,  _don't..."_  Lila panted, her eyes heavy as she gazed up at him fondly. "I fought for... the right side this time... right?" She huffed glancing over at Jake, as he and Mike gazed at the girl with knowing looks. "I helped you... find him, right?"

"Yes, Lila, yes! But please, you gotta try not to talk and let me get this patched up..." Taylor pleaded, pressing his hand and one of the thicker bandages to her wound. "Just til we get back, then Michelle will fix you up properly, okay?" He sniffed, his eyes watering from the overwhelming emotions which clashed in his heart.

"It's okay..." Lila hummed quietly, patting his hand affectionately as her eyes drifted closed. "I think... this is..." The perky girl fell silent, her chest rising with a final breath, before shuddering; and stilling for good.

"Lila..." Taylor murmured, swallowing thickly as he shifted his legs, trying to raise her further into his lap as he squeezed his eyes shut.  _"Lila..!"_  He said, shaking her shoulder gently, as if hoping to wake her. "Shit..." He choked, hiccupping as his grief overwhelmed him; the loss of his friend only exacerbating the loss he felt, as Jake and Mike's hands remained tightly locked together. He slumped back against the passnger seat, holding Lila in his lap over the forty minute journey, as Sean drove them to the RourkeMart. He circled around to the car park, spiralling through the levels to the roof, where a helicopter sat waiting on the pad. He slowed the vehicle, carefully pulling alongside and applying the handbrake.

"Taylor-" Sean hedged, turning toward him as Taylor drew in a deep breath and gently lowered Lila's cooling body tot the floor of the van, pushing himself to his feet and silently digging out fresh straps to secure the van with.

"We don't have long." He said quietly, hopping out through the passenger door as Sean exited through the drivers side. "Lets get this done and get back." He said, as Richard cursed at their sudden appearance.

"Damn, boss! You look like shit!" He called over the communicator, his eyes wide as he began starting up his helicopter. "What'd you do? Ki-" the pilot fell silent, at Sean's sudden look of warning, as Craig hopped down to help boost Sean up to the roof, before aiding Taylor in securing the straps into place. Once they were finished, and Sean had secured all the clips, he jumped down and climbed back into the drivers seat; casting a concerned glance towards Taylors shuttered expression. 

Taylor ignored his friend, ignored the pilots he knew were casting curious glanced towards him, and even the children huddled at the back of the van. He carefully sat Lila in the passenger seat and strapped her in, hiding her body from the children present, before curling himself into a ball and burying his face in his knees. _All this time, I thought he'd take one look at me, and... what_? He thought, swallowing thickly against the save of heartache which coursed through him _. I shouldn't be so surprised. It was Mike he wanted when we lived endlessly on the island... Mike he wanted to save, along with his family. I... I shouldn't be surprised that over three years of running together, they've_... He bit back a sob, refusing to give voice to his grief as Richard flew them back to base as quickly as he could.

By the time they finally arrived, Taylor was exhausted both physically and mentally from his efforts to contain himself. He helped Craig unhitch the van, before watching vacantly as Sean backed it up, and Richard landed the helicopter back on its pad. "Get the kids to Michelle, she's gonna wanna check 'em over." He said tiredly, scrubbing his hands over his face as he moved around to the passenger side of the van.

"Hey, what the hell is all this?" Jake called, eyeing the hanger suspiciously. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded, as Sean and Craig helped guide the children towards Michelle's too small hospice ward.

"I'm Taylor." He replied tiredly, as he gently gathered Lila into his arms, closing the van door with his hip. "And this is The Selected." He added, moving to take Lila to the small area he kept for graves; within the Threshold.

"You're shittin' me." Mike gasped, his eyes wide as he looked around the hanger in awe. "Grandpa, this is what we've been looking for-!"

"What, a buncha kids, playin' at bein' heroes?" Jake scoffed, glancing around with his brow raised in disdain, drawing Taylor to a halt suddenly. "I thought this was supposed to be some sorta skilled resistance."

"Ya know what? Screw you, asshole." Taylor scoffed, turning to scowl at the pilot in irritation. "This girl here, my friend, died to save you and your boyfriends goddamn lives. So you shut your mouth, and damn well appreciate it." He said, his eyes watering as he snorted derisively. "If you can't do that, you're welcome to leave and go back to running, just say the word and you can take what you want and head on out, Top Gun." He growled, trying hard to contain the pain he felt at the words, as Jake looked at him sharply.

"What'd you just call me?" He demanded, frowning as he moved to step closer, only for Taylor to turn away and ignore him; quickly crossing the cavern toward the Threshold exit. "... Boy Scout!" He paused at the sudden yell, his heart lurching painfully against his ribs as he choked on a sob against his wishes.

"Grandpa..." Mike murmured quietly, as Taylor closed his eyes, trying to trample the longing, pain and jealousy which curled through his gut.

"Don't call me that..." He choked finally, forcing himself not to look back as he began to move forward again. "Richard, stop eavesdropping and show them to some quarters." 

"Yessir, boss sir." Richard called guiltily, hopping down from the helicopter. "Well, if you'll follow me good sirs, I can show ya to the best quarters in the whole darn bunker..." Taylor heard him offer, as he carried Lila carefully through the door to the Threshold and made his way through the long corridor.

 _Was I a fool? To believe he'd still feel the same in this world?_  He wondered, as he gazed down at Lila's peaceful face, his conscience twisting guiltily at her fate.  _Or, should I have tried to find him sooner..? **Could**  I have_? He shook his head, pushing his thoughts aside as he found himself in a familiar chamber. A scene of eleven fresh graves flashed before his mind, and Taylor flinched, glancing down to be certain he wasn't wearing dog tags. He drew in a deep breath and sighed, laying Lila down gently as he moved to collect a shovel he'd left against the far wall.

He walked slowly to the only two graves in the chamber, pausing before them for a moment with his head bowed. "I uh, I'm sorry I haven't been by in a while." He said awkwardly, scrubbing his arm over his eyes as he cleared his throat. "You know me... Busy, busy and all that." He hedged, averting his gaze as his chest constricted painfully. "My uh, my friend Lila died today... I hope you don't mind but, I thought I'd put her beside you." He said quietly, biting his cheek to stop his throat from closing. "I just... I don't want her to be alone." He said, nodding his head briefly.

"She uh, she died helping me save my-" he paused, unable to prevent his throat from constricting tightly, choking on the words violently. "...  _friend._  The one I told you about? Jake... He's uh, he's..." Taylor paused, his lip trembling as his arm curled tight around his stomach, his gut churning with nausea as his eyes stung fiercely. "Oh god..." He choked, leaning against the shovel, as his grief finally broke through his defenses. As his sobs and hiccups became more pronounced, Taylor slowly sank to the floor, pouring out his heartache for all that he'd lost, to the silent graves of his parents.


	17. The Pale Moon Is Rising

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... i had intended for all of this to go in one chapter - but it got to 25k and i realised my phone wouldnt wanna copy and paste that much into ny fanfiction account for editing... plus also that the chapter would be around 30k by the time j was done at this rate... so im gonna split it up.
> 
> That means im 6k into the next chapter tho, so maybe not so long a wait?
> 
> Im really sorry if it seems like tgis is being dragged outtoo muxh - i dont like glossing over things too much, but dont wanna bore you all... its just this world has kinda taken on a life of its own :/
> 
> Stoll, i expect that if the next bit isnt much linger then i will have just one more chapter - ptherwise youll get two :p  
> Im sure of it this time! XD
> 
> Thankyou everyone whos veen following, reading, commenting - youre anazing and i couldn have done this without you xxx
> 
> x My love to you all x

_Every attempt I've made to stay with you all, has caused you nothing but pain. And still, you all tried so hard not to hate me for it. It means the world to me, you mean the world to me... But you have to understand, it hurts so much to know you suffering; is because of me. Please, let me do this. Let me finally make it right, like I never could before_...

**17.**

**The Pale Moon Is Rising.**

"So are we still not talking about it?" Zahra asked, chewing on a cocktail stick between her teeth, as she leaned back against her various keyboards, to watch Taylor peruse several blueprints with obvious amusement.

"Not talking about what?" He asked distractedly, frowning as he traced a finger along a trail on the blueprint, before sighing and quickly pushing it aside. He grabbed another rolled up paper from a pile beside his cluttered table, frowning at it briefly, before smoothing it over the small area he'd appropriated for himself.

"You know, the fact you're hiding in my command center all the time now." She said easily, using her cocktail stick to spear a Morello cherry, before delicately biting it from the stick. "The fact that over the past four months you've stopped going out on missions, in case you happen to end up with either Tweedle Dum or Tweedle Dumber. Or there's the whole not sleeping thing; you can take you're pick really..."

"Yes, Snape..." Taylor hummed dismissively, biting his lip as he scoured the blueprints carefully. "We are absolutely not talking about any of tha- wait a minute, I'm sleeping just fine, where the hell did that come from?" He asked, finally glancing over at her with a frown.

"You're talking to someone whose lived with insomnia almost their entire life," Zahra snorted, piercing another cherry and chewing it slowly. "Also, to the person who has access to every camera, tv set and phone in this place." She snickered proudly, raising a brow at him challengingly.

Taylor grimaced, turning back to his blueprints with a frustrated groan. "I'm sure you have better things to do than spy on me when I'm not around, though if you miss me so much I can always spend more time in here..." He offered, throwing her a wink as she snorted and rolled her eyes. "And take it easy on those. I dunno if we'll be finding any more any time soon." He added with a frown, waving his hand for a cheery himself.

"Or, you could stop hiding in my space and go do what you're best at." Zahra scoffed, ignoring his open hand as she ate another cherry herself. "You know, entertain the masses, inspire the troops, give heartwarming speeches and all that... gross shit that you do."

"Okay, I'm sensing some hostility... You're kinda making it seem I'm unwelcome in here, Snape." Taylor complained, dropping his hand to the table as he narrowed his eyes and grabbed a pen and pad of paper, hastily making notes and recreating a small section of the blueprints. "C'mon look, I'm not taking up much room..."

"Dude," Zahra snorted, raising a brow as she ran her eyes over the papers littering her floor, and the table Taylor carted in to spread his blueprints over. "This mess is almost as bad as the day you filled our apartment with puppies..."

"Hmm, a much messier idea than I had prepared for it to be..." Taylor hummed in agreement, his pen flying across the pages of his notepad quickly. "But worth it, to see you crack a smile." He sniggered, as Zahra turned pink in embarrassment.

"I did  _not."_  She insisted, narrowing her eyes at him when he looked about to argue the matter. "If you even breathe a word otherwise again I'm gonna actually lock you're sorry ass outta here."

"Easy there, Snape, you're secret's safe with me." Taylor snickered, quickly clearing his throat and returning to his blueprints in earnest, as he caught sight of her irritated scowl.

"Seriously, Taylor... What're you doing?" Zahra sighed, pushing away from her terminals and rolling across the paper strewn floor towards him. "You're hidin' in here like some sort of tragic girl who just lost her boyfriend, looking over what..?" She scoffed, looking over his shoulder at the blueprints before him. Her eyes narrowed, and she shoved him aside suddenly, scooting closer and scanning the paper with furious intent.

"Hey," Taylor pouted, feigning a glare of irritation towards her. "I don't come get up in  _your_  space and distract  _you_  when you're working..." He complained, folding his arms over his chest as he shifted his weight guiltily.

"Taylor, you're  _already_  in my space." Zahra muttered, scowling as her sharp eyes drank in everything on the blueprint. "Where the hell did you get these?" She demanded, bending to pick up another blueprint and holding it up to the dim light, studying it thoughtfully. "More to the point what the hell are you tryin' to pull off with 'em? You can't seriously be thinking-"

"What, I'm just... Uh, studying." He said evasively, clearing his throat as he turned the blueprint on the table and paused to find his place on his notes, before continuing to jot on the paper quickly. "And I dunno, one of the raiding teams found them... They've been doing really well the past few months, we've been lucky." He said distractedly.

"Yeah, about four months by my count." Zahra snorted, casting a sidelong glance at him as she threw him a shark like grin. "Since about the time you started hiding in here all the damn time. You know, right after you brought in-"

"You know, I'm getting this feeling... it's so tiny, its almost impossible to detect but..." Taylor sighed, rubbing his eyes as he stood straight and looked over at Zahra with a frown. "It almost feels as if you're trying get me out of here."

"Oh good, you noticed that." Zahra said with false cheer, before her scowl returned. "Any chance you can get the hell outta my space so I can get back to my own job?" She demanded, attempting to roll her chair back to her terminal. She glanced at Taylor, who raised a brow and grinned at her fondly, folding his arms over his chest and waiting expectantly. "Urgh, you suck so much. Little help here, loser." She said snidely, as Taylor snickered and slowly approached her.

"What's the magic word?" He asked in a sing song voice, turning her chair and playfully pretending to push her a few times.

"Before I kill you." Zahra said flatly, as Taylor sighed and pushed her back to her terminal with a pout. He huffed an accusatory sigh, quickly rolling up some of his blueprints as he muttered to himself.

"That is more than one word." He snarked petulantly, sniffing as he collected up an armful of rolled up papers, along with his pen and notepad. "Well, I can tell where I'm not wanted-"

 _"Finally."_  Zahra snickered, utterly amused by his overly dramatic display.

"So, I will be leaving now." He continued, pretending not to notice her scornful interruption. "If you need me, I will be in my quarters." He said imperiously, before sticking his tongue out childishly. He turned and strode to the door, sulking and muttering about awful friends who hated him.

"Hey, Taylor !" Zahra called, just as he pushed the door open. He half turned towards her, only to blink when he was struck in the face by a cherry. "Heads up." She snickered, as he struggled to keep hold of his papers.

"Thank you... so much for that." Taylor said dryly, gesturing towards her as he stepped back through the door. "Really. Very appreciated. Thank you." He said, scowling as the door slammed shut between them, cutting off her cackling laughter. "Must  _really,_  hate me..." He sighed, ignoring the twitch in his heavy heart as the words attempted to recall fonder memories. He cleared his throat, pushing the memories aside and setting off down the hall for his quarters.

 _Stupid Snape, kicking me out_. He thought petulantly, pouting as he weaved his way through bodies moving to and fro through the hall, carefully keeping hold of his bundle of papers.  _My goddamn operation, yet she treats me like I'm some sorta hindrance_. He huffed, considering his behaviour over the past four months. _I have absolutely not been hiding. I've been busy. There's a difference_... He thought determinedly, biting his lip guiltily as he ducked around someone carrying a crate of smoke bombs. _And besides, its not like I've been needed out there all that much. I go when I have to._.. He thought frowning as his steps began to slow slightly, his gaze turning distant as he tried to remember the last time he'd gone out on a raid. "... Shit." He sighed, moving to run a hand through his hair only to be forced to grab at his papers quickly. He glanced up at a security camera, scowling as he stuck out his tongue. "This means nothing!" He cried petulantly, scowling at the motionless camera.

"What means nothing?" An amused voice asked from behind him, causing him to yelp and startle, dropping his papers across the floor. "Aw shit, sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Taylor turned quickly, his eyes wide as he gazed at Mike for a moment, before he quickly shook his head and looked to the ground; desperately hoping the other man couldn't hear his racing heart, as it cracked and thrashed within his chest. "No, no; its fine." He said, quickly dropping to his knees and gathering his papers as he tried to avoid meeting the other mans eyes. "My fault, I was uh, lost in thought."

"Yeah, I'm still sorry, Kid." Mike said, shaking his head as he dropped to a knee and reached for a blueprint, only for Taylor to quickly throw them all together, his heart crashing against his chest painfully "C'mon, lemme help yo-"

"Oh, its quite alright." Taylor said thickly, ignoring the sting in his eyes as he hurried to his feet and backed away. "You helped enough." He choked, a dry and nervous chuckle escaping him as he spun abruptly and continued down the hall, ignoring the curious calls from behind him and refusing to stop again, until he was safely entombed within his quarters and slumped against his closed door.

 _It's always like this... Me and Mike meet up and its awkward as hell_. He thought, as he dropped his things to the floor and slowly sank down the door himself, his elbows on his knees as he glanced up to the camera aimed across the room.  _And whenever I meet up with Jake, he's a complete asshole who goes out of his way to try and annoy me._  He thought, recalling the few times he'd ended up trading snide comments and irritated remarks with the pilot, the tension between them ever increasing with every insult or barb thrown. He scowled in irritation and flipped the bird at the camera, before scrubbing both hands over his face tiredly, holding his breath as he refused to give into his heartache.

When he'd finally gotten control of himself again, he pushed himself up and grabbed his blueprints, tossing them onto his cot and digging out his pad and pen, glancing at his noted before finding the appropriate blueprint and continuing where he'd left off. He worked diligently for the next several hours, barely noticing the time pass as he cross checked everything and used the entire pad to make detailed notes. He was so lost in his haze of diagrams, he yelped and fell off his cot, when a knock sounded ar his door.

 _"Hellloooo?"_  Diego's voice called through the door, as Taylor scowled and collected himself from the floor. "Anybody home? Best friend, searching for missing leader of fearless resistance..." Diego called, as Taylor rolled his eyes and sat back on his cot. "Taylor? You in there? Come on man, I feel like an idiot talking to a door..." He whined, as Taylor snickered.

"You look like an idiot anyway, assbutt." He muttered fondly, grinning as he looked up at the door in resignation. "I'm sorry, Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Please leave your message after the beep." He called through the door, pressing a button on his alarm clock to make a loud beep.

"Okay, that fooled me all of one time, stop pretending like its a regular thing I do..." Diego called through the door petulantly, as Taylor began to laugh. "Seriously, you better not be masturbating or something 'cause I'm coming in now and that is a part of my best friend that I really... do  _not_  want to see." Diego huffed, cracking the door open and barely peeking through to see Taylor flash him an amused grin from his bed.

"You don't want to see it, so you open the door regardless." He snorted, shaking his head fondly. "Honestly though, I'm not sure I'd have the time for something so frivolous." He huffed, gesturing to the sea of papers strewn across his cot.

"You know, everyone's worried about you." Diego said, skipping the small talk and gentle approach, seemingly content to jump straight in with the hard truth behind his visit. He frowned as he walked in and sat on top of the blueprints, ignoring Taylors outraged cry of indignation and raised brows.

"Wow, Diego. Don't hold back there, say what you're thinking why don't you?" He said, scowling as Diego reclined on his cot and showed no sign of moving anytime in the near or distant future.

"It's just that we care, you know?" Diego said, ignoring Taylors interjection entirely, much to his exasperation and amusement. "I mean, you brought us together, you helped us remember what we could achieve together. You helped us realise we didn't have to be what this world, what Rourke, said we did. Even Lila-"

"Don't, please." Taylor said quickly, looking away as his eyes stung, his amusement chased away by the bitter sting of his continued grief.

"Taylor, you can't blame yourself for what happened." Diego said gently, sitting up and scooting closer to his friend, crumpling blueprints and Taylors notes without caring. "Lila made a choice to fight for a better world, and she gave her life for that belief, for that desire... You once said she spent her whole life searching for a something to live for, well, in this world she  _found_  it. And she did the same thing any one of us would do without a second of hesitation... She gave her life, fighting for it." He said gently, as Taylor choked and winced, drawing in an unsteady breath.

He trailed his gaze across his meager quarters, along the few photos of his friends which adorned his wall. He clicked his tongue and sighed heavily, shaking his head as he cleared his throat of the thick emotions choking him. "I really hate having my words thrown back at me." He croaked quietly, finally looking over at Diego with a tired scowl. "... I just, I..."

"Dude, I know, we all know." Diego said gently, taking Taylors hand and squeezing it supportively. "But you gotta accept that if you died today, we still wouldn't stop. And then who could take the blame for that?"

"Duh,  _me._  As I haunted your stupid asses." Taylor snorted, grinning as Diego shivered. "Aw, c'mon, you're not still sore about that whole 'Samara' thing, are you?"

"That was beyond fucking creepy dude, and I cannot believe you hid inside a damn closet for an hour and a half! Just to scare the hell outta me, when I finally managed to come over." Diego groused, scowling at Taylor in mock irritation.

"Worth it." Taylor sniggered, brushing his hand over his eyes tiredly. Diego frowned, eyeing the faint circles beneath Taylors eyes and appearing as if he were about to ask, when he instead seemed to decide better of it.

"So, are you hungry?" He asked brightly, unsubtly changing the subject. "Raj made some of his Gradmas chicken and leek curry..." He added leadingly, grinning when Taylor noticeably paused to consider for a moment.

"I uh, I'll just grab some leftovers later." He finally said, looking down and toying with his pen awkwardly, hoping his heart wasn't making half so much noise as it seemed it was to him, as it throbbed and clashed against his chest. "I've still got a lot of notes to take and raids to plan..." He said, clearing his throat as he indiscreetly tugged at his notes beneath Diego.

"Maybe, I wasn't actually  _asking."_  Diego said firmly, scowling at Taylor as he looked up at his friend in surprise. "Maybe, as your friend, I was telling you to get your ass out of this sulky, solitary confinement schtick and down to the goddamn kitchen."

Taylor stared at his friend in wide eyed shock, watching Diego's determination flare as he pouted and stared back at him. Finally he rolled his eyes and shoved Diego off his cot, smirking when he yelped upon hitting the floor. "You're such an assbutt." He said, peering down at him fondly. "But fine, bossy pants. I'll come and eat. But I'm coming straight back afterwards to finish planning!" He warned, jabbing a finger at Diego's chest as his friend rose to his knees and grinned at him smugly.

"Whatever you say,  _boss."_  Diego snorted, tugging Taylor off the cot to land in a heap beside him with his own yelp of surprise.

"You've been hanging around Richard again, haven't you?" He accused with a scowl, shaking his head as he sighed and got to his feet. "Urgh, some people have no taste when it comes filling the void of their best friend..." He sneered, laughing when Diego jabbed him in the arm.

"If you didn't spend all your time hiding from-" Diego began, tactfully pausing when Taylor flinched expectantly, his gaze lowering to the floor. "Or  _planning..._  well, then maybe I wouldn't have to put up with Richard the party animal in your place. 'Cause he really doesn't compare, ya know..?"

"I'm not hiding." Taylor groused petulantly, checking his reflection in the mirror quickly and readjusting his hair, before sighing and turning to glare at his friend balefully. "I'm working. Totally different... Can we just get this over with?" He complained, as Diego snorted and shoved him towards the door.

They moved down the hall together, trading jibes and jokes as Taylor made a point to stick his tongue out at every camera he passed. They called the elevator from the training area, where Sean and Craig greeted him warmly, and Estela grunted at him dismissively. "Wow, you managed to get him out of hiding." She said to Diego, drawing out a crumpled twenty from her back pocket and handing it over to him as he grinned smugly. "I'm impressed." She said flatly, her expression and tone hardly revealing the sentiment.

"What?" Diego asked innocently, tucking the bill into his pocket as Taylor scowled at him. He rolled his eyes and traded high fives with the sniggering Craig and Sean, as well as Craig's brother Joey, before riding the elevator down to the cafeteria.

" _We got something to believe in, Even if we don't know where we stand_..." Music flared to life once the doors parted into Raj's domain, the heavy drumbeat striking Taylor as similar to his own heartbeat, as he stared across the cafeteria in shock. " _Only God would know the reasons, But I bet he must have had a plan_..."

"Oh, you are officially the worst goddamn, best friend ever." Taylor groaned, feeling his cheeks stain red and his heart lurch, as he saw Jake and Mike sat by the edge of the dance floor. "Diego, please let me just go back to my room; I promise you, I'll stick myself in the eyeballs with pins and feel just the same-"

"Taylor stop being so dramatic, it was inevitable you were gonna bump into them sometime. It is entirely coincidental that they happen to be here at this point." Diego said, coughing as he avoided Taylors accusing glare and grabbed his wrist, marching him over to Raj and pointing to the stacked bowls. "Get food. Eat." He ordered, scowling at Taylor as he folded his arms over his chest expectantly.

"Oh my god, when the hell did you get so bossy?" Taylor demanded petulantly, reluctantly grabbing a bowl for Raj to fill.

"Hey, it's Taylor!" Raj cheered, happily dishing Taylor a far larger portion than rations strictly dictated, after running a critical eye over him. "Glad you're joining us for the hot stuff today, you look like you could use the extra kick, man."

"Urgh, don't  _you_  start as well." Taylor groused, flashing Diego an accusatory glare, which he merely grinned at unashamedly. "You're supposed to be my friend and support me, that means being nice not riding my ass just because I may or may not have been taking some me time."

"Whose ridin' who's ass?" Taylor tensed at the familiar drawl behind him, glancing at Diego to see his eyes wide with surprise and guilt. "Sounds like a good time if ya ask me."

"Well, I didn't." Taylor said quickly, his voice brittle as he looked down at his bowl, his hands clutching it almost desperately. "But then, if you will eavesdrop on private conversations, I guess its an understandable mistake to make." He said glibly, painting a false smile on his face which by no means reached his hollow gaze. "Excuse me." He said quickly, ducking past Raj and scurrying away to the nearest table.

"Damn, Boy Scout, you run away from everythin' so fast..?" Jake called after him, a cocky grin on his face as he watched Taylor pause and turn, his face a mask of irritation.

"I told you not to call me that." He said firmly, sneering as he ran his eyes over Jake, hoping his expression held and didn't reveal his longing. "And you're hardly one to talk to me about running away, considering your history." He said, his eyes narrowing as Jake's clear eyes hardened.

"Yeah, 'cause we had the goddamn Imperial Army on our asses!" He growled, scowling at Taylor as Mike hurried over and set a hand on his arm. "What the hell is  _your_  excuse? You willing to let all your people fight and die for ya, while you hide yaself awa-?"

"Shut the hell up!" Taylor yelled, scowling as he threw his bowl of Raj's chicken and leek curry at the pilot, where it splashed across his jacket and Mike's arm. "You don't know a goddamn thing about me!" He cried, his eyes stinging even as they seemed almost to glow with fury.

Jake seemed about to say something further, but was cut off by Mike's urgent intervention. "Grandpa, don't do something ya gonna regret later." He warned, as Taylor grit his teeth and looked away, his throat tight at the show of familiarity between them.

Why can't you see what you still do to me? His thoughts screamed to the pilot, as his heart crashed in his chest. He looked up at Raj, who was staring at his spilled creation with wide eyes. "Sorry Raj... Think I'm better off sticking to leftovers." He said quietly, turning away from them all and striding confidently towards the elevator.

For a moment, silence reigned in the cafeteria, the music from the dance floor unhindered by the chatter as people ate, until Raj's loud cry broke the silence with spectacular enthusiasm. "Food fight!" He cried, and Taylor choked on gratitude, as he stepped into the elevator and turned to see the large man grinning widely; launching a spoonful of his concoction towards Diego, only for him to be saved last moment by Varyyn shielding him.

He jabbed the button marked three, scrubbing his eyes with the back of his hand as grief welled in his heart, his eyes locking with a cerulean blue gaze watching him with an intent frown. Taylor gasped and stepped back, as the doors closed between them, his heart racing in his chest as he unwittingly released several small sounds of distress from deep within his throat. He hiccupped haltingly, attempting to regain control of himself before the doors reopened and anyone could see him in such a state. Luck was not on his side however, for he still hiccupped unevenly as the doors parted to the training area, drawing his friends to look over in surprise.

"Taylor?" Sean called, frowning on confusion as Taylor waved and brushed past wordlessly, his throat too tightly clamped shut for him to give a vocal response. Estela's face creased with concern, her dark eyes following him worriedly as he slunk away at an awkward jog. He heard the elevator doors close as he left the room, and immediately decided that returning to his quarters was asking for trouble.

Breaking into a sprint, Taylor ran down the corridor, wishing he could outrace the ever present pain in his heart and escape the brittle shards which chipped away.  _Why, why did he have to choose him? Why does he have to be such a goddamn asshole here?_  He thought desperately, panting for breath and finally beginning to slow his pace as he neared the infirmary.  _Why do I still have to love him anyway_? He wondered, drawing to a halt and placing his hands on his hips, looking to the ceiling as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes lowered to the makeshift hospice doors a short ways still down the hall, and after a moments hesitation, he dropped his hands from his hips and moved towards them.

"Taylor..." Michelle greeted him with surprise, glancing up briefly from a chart she was filling in before doing a double take suddenly, her eyes wide as she looked him over. "What on earth-"

"I uh, just thought I'd come see her a little early today." He sniffed, scrubbing the back of his hand over his eyes as he gestured to the curtained off area at the back of the room. "I uh, promise I won't... excite her." He said awkwardly, clearing his throat as he glanced at Michelle briefly.

"Taylor-" Michelle murmured, frowning as she got up from her seat and moved towards him, only for Taylor to skit around her and back towards the curtains.

"I promise I won't be long." He called, his voice thick as he fumbled, before finally stepping through to Quinn's sectioned off corner of the hospice. He turned, looking down to the redhead on the bed, his heart aching with a fresh pain; but blessedly erasing that caused by the pilot, at least temporarily. "Hey, you." He said softly, moving to sit beside her bed. He gently took her hand in both of his own, his heart throbbing as he trailed his fingers over her too thin wrists.

"Oh, what I wouldn't give to have you call me an idiot right now..." He sighed shakily, pressing Quinn's palm to his mouth as he kissed it softly. "You always managed to make me smile, even when I was at my lowest..." He breathed, watching her chest rise and fall, the monitor beeping steadily as the various machines hooked up to her helped her to keep breathing. "I wish I could do something for you. That there was something I could do to save you in this stupid world... But everything's upside down here, nothings how its supposed to be." He said, the words tumbling from his lips without consent as his breath hitched, and he vented his deepest thoughts and emotions. "I can't... I can't figure out how I'm supposed to be around him, feeling like this; I feel so, so weak and I... I don't know what to do." He said, shaking his head as he closed his eyes and drew in a deep, ragged breath.

"You'd tell me to stop being such a baby." He snorted lightly, his eyes opening as he gazed down at her fondly, pressing her hand to his cheek as one hand began to toy with her damaged hair. "You'd tell me to get up off my ass, to stop wasting my time and energy on some pretty face... But god, he's so much more than that." He said, sighing as he felt his heart lurch warningly. "I can't...  _stop._  I don't know how to stop, he was everything to me for so long... You all were." He said, swallowing thickly as his eyes welled with tears. "But it seems all I'm doing now is letting you all down..." He sighed, shaking his head as he clasped her hand between both of his again and pressed his lips to them. "The worst part, is that everyone's right. I  _am_  running away, hiding because I just can't handle that he's moved on in this world." He said, shaking his head as he swallowed thickly to clear his constricting throat.

"Having said that all my hiding has paid off..." He said quickly, brushing aside his grief and smiling down at Quinn gently. "My contact in the palace paid off..." He whispered conspiratorially, lowering his voice further when he heard the hospice doors open. "I have blueprints of the palace. And I finally found a way in; or at least, I think I have... I need a second opinion really, but I'll ask Snape to look it over later..." He said, a small smile curving his lips as he imagined the redheads excitement. "If I can get in there, I can get Aleister and my contact out; and Rourke is gonna be destro-" he looked up suddenly, his eyes wide as he met a similarly surprised gaze. "Wow, you really don't do privacy here do you?" He asked, his expression morphing into a scowl as he looked up at Jake's still surprised gaze.

"I always come at this time." The pilot said gruffly, recovering his equilibrium far sooner than Taylor, who's heart raced in nervous longing. "Didn't know you cared about the lowly peons-"

"Don't talk about her like that, you don't know  _anything_  about what she means to-" Taylor growled, his eyes narrowing at the pilots curious gaze, which had drifted to where Taylors hands cradled Quinn's gently.

"Okay, that is it, I am not having this in my space. Out,  _now."_  Michelle ordered, pointing to the door as her glare drifted between them both. "Do  _not_  make me repeat myself."

"But-" Taylor protested, falling silent with a reluctant sigh at her murderous scowl. He gently kissed Quinn's hand, before lowering it carefully to her side. "See you soon, Ariel." He said quietly, his fingers brushing her cheek quickly before he stood from the chair and moved away, scowling at Jake as he stormed past into the corridor.

"Hey, wait up-" Taylor groaned, slowing in the hallway despite his firm instructions for his body to keep moving. He rolled his eyes and turned tiredly, to see the pilot walking after him awkwardly.

"What? You haven't had your fill of tormenting me yet today?" He demanded scowling at the pilots guilty wince. "Is there some other way you wanted to embarrass me, undermine me or what? Just plain make me miserable?" He asked, refusing to acknowledge the slither of pain he glimpsed in the pilots eyes. "What the  _hell,_  do you want from me?"

"Why'd you lie to me?" Jake demanded, knocking Taylors breath from him as he recoiled in surprise. He blinked, his brow slowly creasing as he shook his head and peered at the pilot curiously.

"When?" Taylor scoffed, his frown only deepening as Jake's expression darkened. "I've never li-"

"Don't gimme that horseshit, you know exactly what I mean." Jake snarked, folding his arms over his chest as he scowled at Taylor. "You said we never met, you knew that wasn't the case."

"I never lied." Taylor said stubbornly, folding his own arms in a petulant mirror of Jake's posture, though it was as much to keep his hammering heart from crashing free of his chest, as a show of strength. "We'd never met.  _Here._  Everything else is null and void." He said, his heart screaming, cursing his own tongue for every word.

"I swear you are the stubbornest little bastard I ever met, and I live with Mike." Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair as Taylor lowered his gaze, hoping his eyes didn't betray the pain he felt at Jake's easy referral to his own pilot.

"I have to be." He said, swallowing thickly as he finally looked back up at Jake, his expression carefully blank. "Because if I'm not, then this shitpit of a world is gonna beat me and  _goddamn_  it, I am not prepared to let you down again." He growled determinedly, a scowl forming as the pilot blinked in surprise. "What?" He demanded distrustfully, glancing down at himself when Jake broke out in a cocky grin, and looked him over curiously.

"Nothin', just never knew you cared so much." Jake snorted, winking as Taylor felt heat seep into his cheeks, a blush staining the skin red. "I can never get a read on you, to be honest. You're annoying as hell half the time, but even so..." The pilot said, narrowing his eyes in thought as he unconsciously stepped closer, driving Taylor backwards as he blinked in surprise. "I can't-"

 _"Aah!"_  A cry of pain made Taylor jump, blinking as he shook himself out of the stupor he'd fallen into, staring at the pilots puzzled expression as he approached. He cleared his throat, looking down the hall with a frown as hw heard hurried footsteps approaching. "Oh!"

"Grace?" Taylor called in confusion, pushing away from the wall as his stomach began to flicker with fear.

"If you two're done flirtin', can ya get the hell outta the way?!" Mike growled, pushing straight between Taylor and Jake as he carried a squirming Grace in his arms, her hands pressed firmly to her swollen belly.

"Grace!" Taylor cried, following after soldier quickly as he backed into the infirmary, holding a door open as Jake grabbed the other with a frown. "What the hell is-"

"Grace, I need you to tell me where it hurts." Michelle said over him, as Mike set the dark skinned girl carefully on a bed, hurrying to her side and beginning to examine her.

"She's in labour." Mike said, gesturing to a small trail of blood on Grace's inner thigh. Michelle glanced at the soldier, before moving to clean Grace's thigh, subtly blocking the mens sight and checking her over.

"How the hell is that possible? She's supposed to have months left!" Taylor protested, his heart lurching as he moved closer to the bed and carefully gripped Grace's hand.

"When did this start?" Michelle demanded, hurrying around her makeshift clinic as she muttered to herself as to various things she did and did not have in stock.

"The pain? Fully about half an hour, maybe. She thought it was just discomfort and tried walking it off, but then she saw the tell." Mike explained, as Grace grimaced and turned her face towards Taylor, hiding her embarrassment as Michelle measured her dilation discreetly.

"Well, we have some time yet..." The blonde sighed, moving to Grace's side and helping her to sit. "Come on, lets get you into a gown... I'm not gonna lie sweetie, its gonna be a long ass night."

"What can I do?" Taylor asked, biting his lip as he tapped his fingers over Grace's mattress nervously, his eyes running over her as she turned back to him brokenly.

"There's nothing you can do now, Taylor, but thank you anyway. I... I must have miscalculated my dates somewhere." She said, smiling nervously as Michelle pulled a curtain around Grace's bed.

"She's right, there's not much you can do at the moment, but I'll call for you, as soon as that changes." The blonde said, before disappearing behind the curtain with Grace. "Okay, lets get you out of that dress, and into... one of these..." Taylor heard her say, as he stared blankly at the curtain. His heart lurched, leaping to his throat as he considered that by the same time the next day, they'd have a baby in the bunker.

 _A baby who technically, is in line to the Emperor's throne_... He thought, flinching at the realisation. He exhaled heavily, backing away from the bed as he turned, ignoring the pilots as he moved out into the hallway in a daze.  _I always promised I would have told him by the time she was this far along, now its too late..._  He thought guiltily, ambling down the hallway as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.  _Just another couple of weeks and I could have gotten into the Pala-_  he stopped abruptly, blood rushing in his ears as he cocked his head suddenly in thought. He debated for all of half a minute before turning and jogging back past the infirmary, and dipping into his room, scrabbling through his blueprints quickly until he found the one he was after and rolling it into a tube. He looked around his room as his heart began to race, swallowing heavily as he grabbed a bag and dropped a photo, three smoke bombs and a flash bang of Zahra's creation inside. He also grabbed his miniature flamethrower, and a flare gun, complete with three rounds and added them to his bag of materials. He grabbed a coil of rope and looped it over his shoulder, before slinging his bag over the top and clutching his blueprint tightly, he raced out of his room and down the hall.

"Snape!" He yelled, stumbling past her door and having to trot back again. "Snape open up! Its important! Come on, Snape, open-" he dashed inside when the door swung open, barely noticing Zahra's brows raise in surprise at his flustered state.

"What the hells so important, you-" she began, only for taylor to silence her as he swept everything remaining on his table to the floor, as he smoothed out his blueprint and waved her over urgently.

"The pale moon is rising." He said quickly as she rolled over, ignoring her raised brow as he gestured towards a section of the blueprint. "Grace is in labour... But look, I think if I broke in through this window, I could travel through the servant passages behind the front floor, and use the back stairway, to bypass the security." He explained hurriedly, trailing his fingers along the passage he'd described quickly. "If I can grab a uniform from in here before I head up, its almost guaranteed they won't even realise what's happened til I'm alrea-"

"Taylor, Taylor, slow down!" Zahra said, staring at him with wide eyes as he finally looked up at her in confusion for her interruption. "This, is insane. And I don't just mean your usual level of stupid, insane plans; I mean full on, this is gonna get you killed, insane." She snarked, shaking her head as she trailed her finger along a different part of the diagram. "This is an alarm, rigged to every window and every doorway. If you break in anywhere, they're gonna know before you even step inside..."

Taylor sighed, pushing away from the table in frustration as he stared down at the blueprint. "What about if we broke them all?" He asked suddenly, his eyes lighting as his mind raced with the new idea. "We could blow out all the windows; they'd be too busy protecting the Emperor to consider anybody would be sneaking around the back-"

"Taylor, what the hell is in your head?" Zahra demanded, scowling as she snatched the blueprint from the table and waved it before his face. "This is suicide! What the hell are you tryin' to achieve here, 'cause there are easier ways to die, lose-"

"I'm thinking that Grace is gonna have a baby, that its gonna be heir to the goddamn throne; and the father doesn't even damn well know about it!" Taylor groused, his hands scrubbing over his face as he scowled at the blueprints and his rejected plans to break into the palace. "I'm thinking of how scared she must be, and if how much I know it meant to her... to think he was gonna be there for her when the time came." He sighed, shaking his head dejectedly as he turned away.

"... Aleister isn't in the palace today." Zahra said hesitantly, awkwardly fidgeting with the corner of the blueprint as Taylor spun around to face her again. "There's a chess tournament at Hartfeld, he was top of the-"

"Show me." Taylor said urgently, twisting her chair and rolling her back to her terminal quickly. "Show me, show me, show me..." He hummed, tapping her screen in his agitation.

"Okay seriously, touch my stuff again and I'm taking the hand off." Zahra warned, as her fingers began to reluctantly dance across her keyboards. "Also, stop telling me what to do, or I'm gonna kick your scrawny little ass.  _Again."_  She said, scowling as she brought up several feeds of Hartfeld, where security was present but not overly heavy, aside from the main quad, where several outdoor chess boards had been set up around the fountain. "This is not good... Taylor, there's no way-"

"I can do it." Taylor said quickly, narrowing his eyes as he looked across the patrols, watching as most of them stuck to the more frequently travelled paths and skipped over the quiet areas which either dead-ended or took the long way around an area. "Look, if I park up by the music department; I can swing through communications, take the third exit out of the art department and so long as I keep myself covered, I should be able to get Aleister's attention from right around...  _There."_  He said, trailing his finger along his route, before pointing to a shaded area beneath a tree; directly opposite Aleister's board.

"Taylor, I got a bad feelin' about this..." Zahra sighed, though she could find no fault in his reasoning or route. "You got a three hour flight, an hour of driving... That's already four hours; how long can it even take to have a kid?"

"Michelle said they were looking at a long night," Taylor said distractedly, running his eyes over the path several more times. "So my best guess, is 'awhile'."

"So gross." Zahra complained, shaking her head in disgust. "So who do you want me to call?" She asked, bringing up several communicator patched on another screen, cycling through those available, those asleep and those already out on raids.

"Tell Richard to meet me in the hanger in five minutes." Taylor hummed distractedly, his eyes narrowing on Aleister a moment longer, before he turned and walked quickly towards the door.

"What? Taylor, who else?" Zahra asked, frowning after him as he strode out her door and into the hallway.  _"Taylor!"_  She called after him, as he trotted down the hall, reaffirming the path he'd have to take in his head as he ducked into the hanger and tossed his bag into open window of Zahra's adapted van. He paused, debating a moment as he narrowed his eyes at a collection of small motorbikes in the corner of the cavern, before heading over and choosing an unobtrusive black machine, which he quickly walked round to the back of the van.

"So, suicide missions a turn on for ya, or somethin'?" Jake asked, startling Taylor from where he leaned against the back door of the vehicle. "Or, are ya really just this stupid? I mean, what is you're tryin' to achieve here?"

"Jeez, what the hells the matter with you?" Taylor choked, scowling as he rubbed his chest briefly, before loading the bike he'd chosen into the van."And not that its anything to do with you, Mr. Eavesdrop, but I'm planning to reunite a man, with the mother of his child; because I happen to know how important it is to her, to have him there at such a crucial moment." He said in a clipped voice, making certain his irritation was plain to hear.

"You're talkin' about the Imperial freakin' Prince!" Jake cried, as Taylor strapped his bike into place, before heading out the back of the van and closing the doors.

"Aleister is my friend." Taylor said firmly, staring at the doors a moment as he swallowed heavily. "I won't make him miss out on this just because he's... under a slight misapprehension."

"Misappre-!" Jake scoffed, scowling as he pushed away from the other door and spun Taylor around by his arm, shoving him back against the van roughly. "The Pale Prince wants your head." He said lowly, ignoring Taylors stubborn scowl as he shook his arm. "You're really prepared to give up your life if ya wrong? To walk out on everyone here, counting on you? For him?"

"I'd do the same for any one of you." Taylor said firmly, his eyes locked determinedly with Jake's as they traded scowls. For a second which seemed to last another lifetime to Taylor, there was silence between them, until finally; Jake released him, and stepped back with a derisive snort.

"Fine." Jake said, his voice as hard as his clear, determined eyes. "You prep the van, I'll prep the chopper." He said, disappearing around the side of the van towards the helicopter.

 _"What?!"_  Taylor yelped, recovering from his shock after a moments pause. "No,  _you_  are  _not_  coming." He said, hurrying around the side of the van with a scowl, as Jake turned and raised a brow.

"Oh? You got some other pilot in mind, or ya flying yaself along with the cargo?" He snorted, gesturing to the van he knew Taylor would never be able to get hitched to the helicopter without at least one other pair of hands.

"Richards on his way." Taylor said coolly, averting his gaze as he folded his arms over his chest petulantly. "He'll be all the help I need. The smaller the team, the less can go wrong." He said stubbornly.

"Yeah, only one problem there so far's I can see." Jake chuckled, pointing over Taylors shoulder as he heard the door open and a crash sound through the cavern.

Taylor turned reluctantly to see Richard laughing wildly as he tripped into a motorbike, the machine clattering to the ground and barely avoiding knocking the next bike down with it. "Aw, hell..." Taylor sighed, groaning as he saw five other faces appear behind him. "No, no and  _no!"_  He called, crossing his arms over his torso and slashing them through the air drastically. "You are  _not_  invited and you are  _not_  given permission to join me! And... and... Godammit, I said  _no!"_  He yelled, scowling at Diego, Sean, Craig, Mike and Estela. "Go... Do something. Somewhere else." He added vaguely, waving his hands at then dismissively.

"What's with him?" Estela asked, ignoring Taylor entirely as she walked straight past him, her brow raised at Jake. "He's being more of an idiot than usual..."

"He's under the impression he can one man this shitshow and I informed him otherwise." Jake snorted, his eyes on Richard as the man flopped over a motorbike and appeared to fall asleep. "Look, Boy Scout, ya got two options. Give up and stay here, or give up and let ya squad help you."

Taylor scowled at the pilot mutinously, but grit his teeth and refused to admit he had no intention of staying. He averted his eyes as Jake chuckled, turning back towards the helicopter without another word and helping Mike hop in through the drivers side door. Taylor turned to his friends, his face falling as they all ignored him, loading their things into the van while Estela collected a small arsenal of weapons. "Is there any chance of me convincing you guys not to do this?" He asked with a resigned sigh, already anticipating the answer when Diego turned towards him with a smug grin.

"Is there any chance of us convincing you not to do it yourself?" He countered, as Taylor groaned and buried his face in his hands, hiding his silent scream of frustration. "Look, dude, Jake's right. You can't solo anything that involves someone as highly guarded as the Imperial Prince... But, we're still a small crew. We'll stick to your plan, but, at least this way we got your back..."

"Oh, I hate you all so much right now..." Taylor groaned, as Craig and Sean began attaching the strap harness beneath the van. "Ooh, I know; how about you all ride with Jake and Mike?" He offered eagerly, as Diego rolled his eyes and moved to jab Taylors arm fondly.

"Why don't  _you_  ride with Jake and Mike?" He countered, winking unsubtly as Taylors cheeks began to heat in embarrassment and irritation.

"Because I'd probably end up killing the bastard, and then his boyfriend would kill me." He said hotly, pretending not to hear the snort of amusement from the direction of the helicopter. "Smug bastard.  _Annoying,_  smug bastard." He added, deliberately raising his voice.

"Taylor -" Diego began, before breaking off with a sigh, shaking his head as he threw his arm around his friends shoulder and drew him towards the van. "C'mon. We're on a timer here." He chuckled, as Taylor groaned, rolling his eyes as Diego continued to use his own words against him.

"Why,  _why_  am I cursed with such a smart mouthed best friend." Taylor sighed dramatically, though he chuckled as he swung himself into the drivers seat, narrowly dodging Diego's swat to his shoulder. He stuck out his tongue, laughing as he grabbed a communicator off the dash and fit it to his ear.

He jumped when the passenger door opened, and Jake climbed in beside him, raising a brow at his shocked expression. "What, ya wanna fly instead now?"

"It just got a whole lot more appealing, but its still kinda a tie, to be honest." He groused, scowling as Jake sniggered and leaned back in his seat, kicking his boots up onto the dashboard. "Why aren't  _you_  flying?" He asked, as he saw Craig hop up into the helicopter, as Estela passed him several guns and what appeared to be a shoulder mounted laser cannon, which Taylor was fairly certain hadn't even been tested yet. The dark haired girl flashed a brief grin over to them, before hopping up after Craig and strapping herself into a seat.

"Little crowded for my taste, 'sides, Mike gets antsy when I back seat pilot." Jake snorted, utterly unaffected by Taylors attitude. Taylor grumbled to himself as Mike carefully lifted the helicopter into the air, hovering over the van long enough for Sean to hook up the straps, before lifting them up through the skylight and beginning the hour and a half flight towards Hartfeld.

Taylor tapped then steering wheel nervously, acutely aware of the pilot watching him, but refusing to acknowledge him. He half listened to Diego and Sean play go fish with a pack of cards in the back, while mentally recalling the map he'd made for himself. After a half hour, he chanced a glance toward the pilot, and his breath hitched, his heart lurching painfully at the sharp reminder of the first time he'd ever seen him. With his boots kicked up on the dashboard, Jake's hair partially covered his lowered face, as he snored softly in his sleep.

 _How longs it really been?_  He wondered, staring in awe at the very sight he'd once burnt into his memory.  _Since I got to see him like that..?_  He felt his lips part, an overwhelming urge in his heart to lean over and kiss the pilot until he woke gently, as he lost himself to memories where he had done so, many times in their torn away history.  _Except he isn't mine here_... He thought suddenly, just as his body had begun to move. He swallowed thickly, his eyes dragging hungrily over Jake's peacefully slumbering face, before he tore his gaze away with a stifled gasp.

"Taylor?" Diego called quietly, leaning over his shoulder with a small frown. "Are you-" he began, raising a brow at Taylors obvious distraction.

"I'm good. I'm driving, well, not right now; we're flying, we'll we're not, Mike is, but I will when we land." He babbled in reply, his fingers curling around the steering wheel as he kept his eyes ahead of them, determined not to reveal anything further of his emotional upheaval. "Drive, that is, not fly."

"Uh, okay dude..." Diego huffed, shaking his head affectionately. "I was just gonna say, are we getting ready soon? Hartfeld's only twenty minutes away..."

 _"What?!"_  Taylor yelped, shaking his head and looking at his watch, exhaling shakily when he realised his friend was right.  _No more daydreaming for me_... He thought, scowling as he began making preparations. He knocked Jake's feet to the floor, earning an annoyed grunt in response, as Jake's clear eyes opened to focus on him in irritation.

"Don't ya know its rude to wake someone from a nap?" He complained, as Taylors heart clenched painfully. Jake frowned as he noticed Taylors expression flicker with grief, sitting straight in his chair and half turning towards him, when Taylor glanced back to his friends.

"Hey, can you make sure the bikes strapped in properly? And get yourselves something to hang on to." He said, clearing his throat as he faced forward again and began checking his equipment in his bag over. He pulled the photo from the bottom, tucking it into his back jeans pocket, before drawing in a deep breath to steady himself. "Okay, ready when you are Hot Shot." He said into his communicator, peering through his window down to the ground below, considerably closer to the van, than when Richard had flown him previously. "Get to the nearest semi decent shelter you can, if all goes well, we won't be more than an hour and a half, tops... But we may be coming out pretty fast." He warned, glancing around the others as they loaded up on weapons and diversionary projectiles. "Be prepared to take off quick, and if we're too hot to collect; head back to base. We can rendezvous later, provided we all get away."

There was a noticeable pause, before he heard Mike's crisp reply through his communicator. "Copy." He said, and a few brief moments later, the straps supporting the van turned slack, dropping them onto the ground with a spine jerking lurch.

"You ain't exactly much for landings are ya?" Jake muttered, scratching behind his ear as Diego and Sean groaned from the back of the van. "You ever even done this before?"

"Yeah.  _Once."_  Taylor replied quietly, starting the van and kicking it into gear quickly, pulling away quickly and joining the road which led towards Hartfeld University. The van was silent for a time, no clarification needed for Taylors one word responses.

"Damn, you drive like my grandmother..." Jake groused, sighing heavily as Taylor grit his teeth and rolled his eyes in frustration. "Do ya know these things go faster than a crawl, Boy Scout?"

"Really? Huh, here I thought all those other little numbers were just for show..." He snarked, scowling over at the pilot when he huffed an amused chuckle. He shook his head, certain the man had never been so irritating across their own timelines together, deliberate or otherwise.  _But, perhaps its just been too long for me to remember now._  He thought, his face falling as he sobered.

"Well can ya at least open a window? Its hotter than a Turkish bath in here." The pilot groused, as Taylor unintentionally jerked the wheel, his heart lurching at the familiar phrase. His foot sank onto the accelerator, his breath quickening as he longed to put distance between himself and the pilot. "Whoa,  _damn,_  lookout-"

"Oh my god," Taylor finally groused, looking over at the other man in exasperation. "Do you  _ever_  stop complaining?" He demanded, his brow crinkling at Jake's smug grin.

"Not really, no." He snickered proudly, holding onto the window rail as he winked at Taylor. "I'm told its part of my charm."

"Pfft, one day, I'm gonna have to teach you the definition of 'charm'." Taylor snorted, shaking his head as he gazed at the road before them, a small twitch at the corner of his lips despite his frustration.

"I bet you could teach me  _plenty."_  Jake sniggered, as Taylor rolled his eyes and set himself to ignore the pilot once again.

"Wow... I never thought I'd be coming back here." Diego said, peeking over Taylors shoulders at the rapidly approaching Hartfeld campus. "You remember when we met, Taylor?"

"Hmm, it'd be pretty hard to forget, buddy." Taylor hummed gently, his thoughts returning to the first tine he'd been fully dropped into his life in this world. "I'd just had the day from hell, and I was tellin' off Rourke's smug ass statue." He huffed, reaching up to squeeze Diego's hand fondly. "Thanks, assbutt."

"Hey, what else are best friends for?" Diego said, beaming a wide grin at Taylor as he began to slow the van. Diego and Sean drew deeper into the van, while Jake hid a pistol in each pocket of his jacket and cast his sharp eyes around the campus.

"Keep ya eyes open." The pilot warned, hunkering down in his seat as Taylor hid his face as best he could. He slowly drove them around to the music department, parking up beside the building carefully and killing the engine, glancing around nervously.

"Okay, if I'm not back in twenty five minutes, just... Go." He said, glancing over at Jake as the pilot peered at him curiously. "I mean it. If I'm not back by then, you get them out.  _Please."_  He added, meeting the pilots gaze fully, as the other man narrowed his eyes briefly.

"Copy." He said, looking away suddenly as Taylor nodded gratefully and glanced around a final time, before cracking his door open.

"Wish me luck." He murmured, barely noticing their replies, as he slipped from the van and closed the door. He crossed the front of the vehicle, catching Jake trade seats within, watching him intently as he passed the passenger window and walked around the music department. He jogged alongside a large cluster of students, ducking into the communications building as they passed, and trotting his way straight through; into the art department. He strolled past the first two exits confidently, keeping his face averted as best as he could from the various students. Finally, he hurried hurried through the third exit, immediately curving into the shadows and keeping his face lowered, as he made his way around the edge of the quad.

Taylor paused, drawing out the photo he'd placed into his pocket, sucking in a deep breath to steady himself, before moving forward to stand awkwardly beneath the tree he'd chosen, directly opposite where Aleister was seated.  _Everyone's right, I am goddamn insane_... He thought weakly, as he gazed at his one time friend, biting his lip as the pale man concentrated on his board; his expression drawn into pensive concentration, as he examined his pieces.

Taylor glanced around, leaning discreetly against the tree trunk as he watched Aleister finally make , touching the top of a small clock, and smirking at his opponent.  _Moment of truth..._  He thought, swallowing heavily as he began to whistle Chopins 'Nocturne' quietly. The pale man did not appear to noticed his attempts at first, but as Taylor progressed, he began to look around with a curiously raised brow. Taylor briefly waved, holding out the photo he'd brought with him as the pale man locked his cold, furious gaze onto him and stood from his chair.

Taylor ceased his whistling, pleading with his wide eyes instead, as he held the photo with one hand, his palms flat to show he had nothing in them. "Please, Aleister,  _please..."_  He breathed nervously, his gaze darting to the guards nearby who were turning towards Aleister curiously. The pale man narrowed his eyes at Taylor, his jaw locking briefly, before he turned to bark at his entourage. Taylor held his breath, but when none of them turned towards him, he couldn't help the brief flutter of hope which spread through his heart. He bit his lip, glancing around as he withdrew deeper into the shade of the tree, waiting as Aleister boldly strode across the quad to the bench around the far side of his cover.

"You always did have more nerve than sense, Taylor." Aleister drawled, though the cold fury in his tone was hard yo miss. "Even so I am amazed at your gall to appear in such a place, after all you've done. Especially to show yourself to me." He scoffed, as he gazed out at the quad, watching the other players and the general public milling around them.

Taylor swung around the tree trunk and hovered just out of sight, his heart racing as he licked his lips and glanced around nervously. "First off, I dunno whether to thank you for coming over and, you know; not bringing your guards to put their pointy swords and ouchie bullets in me-"

"Don't give me any ideas, Taylor." Aleister interrupted warningly, half glancing back at him sharply. "I decided such a foolish show of bravery was worthy of recognition. That does not by any standard mean that I won't call them over should I tire of your prattle."

"Of course, the other part of me just wants to smack you in your stupid face." Taylor concluded, ignoring Aleister's warning as he scowled at the back of his head. "You used to understand me, used to cover for me! How in the hell could you believe such a despicable thing, you stupid... asshole." He huffed indignantly.

"If this is the extent of your desire to garner my attention, I shall be leaving now." Aleister sneered, moving to stand from the bench. "I have no patience for childish name calling."

"No, Aleister wait! I'm sorry, okay, its just... You were my friend." Taylor said quickly, swallowing heavily as he shook his head, despite the pale man being unable to see the gesture. "It just... I thought you knew me better than that."

"So did I." Aleister sneered, turning his head to peer down the path, as one cold eye looked back at Taylor. "And yet you killed one of you're own friends, along with-"

"You really are the dumbest, smart person I ever met, in any timeline..." Taylor huffed, stepping forward and tossing the photo into Aleister's lap, before quickly returning to his cover. "Aleister, when have I ever killed people who didn't outright, leave me no other choice?" He asked, scowling as Aleister picked up the photo curiously, slowly tracing his finger over Grace's smiling face, the blue flowers in her hair accentuating her curls. "When have I ever, endangered innocent people? My raids are on your fathers compounds, his detention facilities... When I heard what was happening, I got to the RourkeMart as fast as I could, but the damage was already done." He sighed, watching as Aleister drew the photograph closer to his eyes suddenly, his posture stiffening in surprise. "Lucky for you, I was able to save Grace from your fathers hired goons... along with your son."

Aleister's pale complexion drained of colour further, as he stared at the obvious baby bump in the photograph, his eyes widening as Taylors words sank in. "My-" he choked, swallowing thickly as he turned to face Taylor fully. "How-"

"Okay, I am not going to explain to you what you did to make a baby; I am still too traumatized from the fact that you used to do it whenever I was out raiding and never had the decency to be finished by the time I got back." Taylor snarked, his gaze softening before Aleister's shocked expression. "But suffice to say, your daddy didn't take kindly the thought of you sleeping with the common riff raff,  _especially_  the daughter of Blaire Hall."

"Well, I mean where... When-" Aleister stammered, shaking his head in disbelief as he looked back at Taylor fully. Taylor grimaced, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the tree and glanced around hesitantly.

"Well, that's kinda why I'm here. I promised Grace I'd find a way to get you, so you could come be with her at the birth..." He said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "But there may have been a few uh, complications... She, uh, she went into labour a few hours ago." He hedged, as Aleister's eyes filled with concern. "Look, I can take you to her... But, its unlikely you'll be able to come back again. If you think you can't live like we do-"

"I am more than capable of changing my standard of living, Taylor." Aleister sneered, scowling at Taylor as he got to his feet. "I am assuming you have a vehicle, tell me where to meet you, I can divert the guards attention with a few well placed commands..." He added in a thoughtful hum, his tall frame seeming to almost vibrate in anticipation.

"We have a van, I..." Taylor trailed off, his eyes scanning across the noticeably quieted quad. "Aleister... Where are your guards..?" He asked hesitantly, an uneasy trickle of fear splintering through his gut.

"What? What are you-" Aleister began, turning to fall silent as he noticed the distinct lack of royal or military guards present. "But they were just..." He said, frowning in confusion as he looked around the considerably emptied quad.

"Aleister..." Taylor called, glancing back towards where he'd parked the van. "Aleister, we need to go. Now." He said urgently, reaching for his friend, only to freeze in shock, as he saw a man wearing a white suit and a golden laurel leaf crown, approaching then slowly; his smirk as condescending and smug as Taylor remembered it ever being.

"Now, Taylor." Rourke said, spreading his palms as he gestured around the campus. "As you can see, I am unarmed and utterly without my security forces. I've come to meet you on peaceful terms..." He said slowly, drawing in a deep breath as he looked Taylor over thoughtfully. "I admit, I had not expected for you to be such a persistent thorn in my side... The world is everything I designed it to be now, and yet you seem intent to deny me what I deserve-"

"You deserve a punch in the face... I can happily deliver, if you'd like." Taylor offered blandly, recovering his equilibrium as he stepped out of the cover of the trees, to the sound of several gasps and immediate whispers of surprise. "I mean I'm actually quite against violence, but I will always make an exception for you, Rourke."

"Now, now, that's  _Emperor_  Rourke, Taylor." Rourke chuckled, smiling broadly as he strolled along the path a ways, holding his jacket lapels as he looked around the area thoughtfully. "I don't see any of your little friends... Are they hiding in that clever van of yours?"

"I came alone." Taylor said, shaking his head as he purposely avoided looking towards the music department. "I didn't come for trouble, I came to speak to Aleister... Now I have, and I'll leave peacefully."

"Of course, Taylor. I merely wished to see you, face to face and have a... conversation." Rourke said, half turning towards him with a sly glance, as Taylor narrowed his eyes suspiciously, his hand slowly dipping into his bag.

"Conversations with you are dangerous things." He said hesitantly, his fingers curling around a smoke bomb carefully. "Last time I listened to anything you had to say, I made one of most fatal mistakes I could've ever..." He said, swallowing thickly as the words stuck in his throat. "What do you want?" He bit out, scowling as Rourke's smug grin turned predatory.

"Why, peace, of course." Rourke said, his expression turning somber as he walked closer slowly. "I was sorry to hear what Lundgren did to your parents... I imagine it must have been quite devastating, to have finally had a family, only to lose it so...  _violently."_

Taylor grit his teeth as he glared at Rourke, shifting his weight as Aleister discreetly set his hand on his arm. "Yes. I bet you were absolutely distraught to have given that order."

Rourke laughed quietly, clicking his tongue and conceding Taylors assumption. "So tell me, Taylor, are you ready to end all this nonsense? If you come with me quietly now, all your little friends can live their lives out in peace; I won't even look for them..." He said, spreading his palms once more as he grinned, the expression vaguely reminding taylor of the brief flash of malicious glee, before the vortex had swallowed them all. "Hmm? What do you say, your life, for all of theirs?"

Taylor paused, considering the offer as he thought of Grace, of the Vaanti hiding within his base, of Quinn; locked into the final stages of the withering disease consuming her. He drew in a deep breath, swallowing thickly as he slowly raised his eyes to meet Rourke's gaze. "It's a tempting offer, Rourke." He said slowly, shaking his head thoughtfully. "But there's just one problem..."

"Oh?" Rourke queried, his eyes widening in surprise, as he cocked his head at Taylor curiously. "And what would that be?"

Taylor glared at Rourke, as he took a deliberate step backwards. "... You're a snake." He said, his eyes narrowing as he caught a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision. "And you've never  _once_  told me the truth..."

Rourke's grin turned smug as he chuckled, moving away to stand by the fountain and raising his arm. "You always were a sharp one, Taylor." He hummed, his eyes narrowing as his grin morphed into a grimace. "Guards! Kill the traitors!"

"Father!" Aleister yelled, as Taylor grabbed his arm and pulled him behind the tree, narrowly avoiding the pale man being shot, as guards poured into the quad and opened fire.

"Pretty sure you just got promoted to traitor, Aleister!" He yelled, dragging the smoke bomb from his bag as he peeked around the tree, panting for breath as he glanced around the now filled quad. "Damn, I hope you have your running shoes on Aleister... This is  _not_  gonna be good." He muttered.

"Oh, Taylor..." Rourke laughed gleefully, clearly enjoying the hail of bullets which was slowly eating away at the tree which was their only protection. "You might have issues about bloodshed... but fortunately, as you can see, I have no such qualms." He chuckled fondly, as Taylor licked his lips and caught his breath.

"Aleister, are you ready to-" he asked, only for the pale man to cut him off furiously.

"For heavens sake, Taylor, if you're going to do something; damn well  _do_  it!" He cried, his eyes wide as he stared at his father in disbelief.

"No appreciation..." Taylor muttered, pouting as he pressed his back to the tree and glanced around briefly, before tossing the smoke bomb around it and grabbing Aleister by the arm, pulling him close. "When I say run, run. Don't stop, don't hesitate, don't do anything but run... Get to the music department, there's a van parked just around the side."

"What, what about y-" Aleister began, frowning as smoke began to erupt quickly from the bomb he'd thrown, creating a thick screen between themselves and Rourke's guards.

"Run!" Taylor yelled, dragging Aleister around the tree and racing through the quad, digging another smoke bomb from his bag and throwing it behind them. "Move it Aleister, this is not the time to be worried about appearances!" He demanded, as Aleister ran stiffly beside him, forcing the pale man to run faster as he glanced behind them. He scowled, shoving Aleister hard as he turned and drew out his flare gun. "Keep moving, tell them to get on the road!" He roared, aiming for the guards and soldiers gaining on them. He fired towards them, forcing them to scatter as he turned and began to race away from the quad again, deftly reloading the weapon quickly.

He stumbled to a halt, when soldiers began to converge around the end of the music department, moments after Aleister disappeared from view. Taylor paused, his heart hammering in his chest, before he swung wide to the left and darted into the opposite building. He raced through a science lab, his eyes quickly searching for the nearest exit. "Everybody out! Get to safety, go home!" He yelled, ignoring the screams and gasps which erupted at his words, as he pushed through the doors and ran down a corridor, taking a sharp right and racing towards the far doorway.

He stumbled to a halt, his breath catching as guards moved to block the exit. He quickly stepped backwards, glancing at the staircase, when he flinched in shock; as several of the guards blocking the exit began to fall, the remaining soldiers looking away at the loud sound of gunfire from nearby. "This is such a bad idea..." He muttered, taking a deep breath, before charging towards the doors. He hit them hard, colliding with two guards and knocking them to the floor, as he rolled away from them and quickly scrambled back to his feet.

"Taylor!" Diego called, catching sight of him as he threw flashbang grenades from around the corner. "Thank god! We weren't sure where you-"

"What the hell is this?!" Taylor demanded, scowling as he noticed Sean crouched behind a statue of Rourke; shooting with a rifle, and picking off the more skilled soldiers who remained at the back of the guard, debilitating them with various well placed wounds. Taylors heart lurched when he saw Jake with his back to the wall of the music department, a pistol in each hand as he paused a moment, before opening fire with both hands; his eyes locking intently onto each target before sliding to the next, and finally returning to his cover to reload. "What the bloody hell are you all doing? I told Aleister to tell you to leave!"

"Oh, yeah he said." Diego hummed distractedly, throwing three smoke bombs at once into the hesitating guards. "But he also ordered us to ignore your stupidity and save your ass." He added, looking over with a cocky grin. "And lets face it, royalty trumps your scrawny ass."

"We get outta this and I am kicking each and everyone of your goddamn asses." Taylor groused, stuffing his flare gun back in his bag and hurrying closer to his friend. He rummaged through Diego's bag, grabbing several smoke bombs. "How many do you have left?" He demanded, counting six balanced across his palms.

"Uh, maybe another three?" Diego hedged, as Taylor dropped two back into Diego's bag and handed him two of what he had left in his hands.

"Okay, we're launching all of these, and running like hell for the van... Where is it?" He asked, frowning as he looked around for a hint of their vehicle.

"It's about three feet forward from where you left it..." Diego said, shrugging his shoulder when Taylor looked at him incredulously. "What? Don't look at me, it wasn't my idea." He scoffed, glancing around the corner before raising his brows at Taylor. "Ready?"

"Not even a little." Taylor quipped, taking a deep breath before running out from the cover of their building.  _"Raaaah!"_  He cried, launching his canisters through the air as Diego did the same, creating a thick wall of smoke between them and their attackers. "Get to the damn van you idjits!" Taylor roared, racing towards the music department as Jake looked up, shoving his pistols into his jacket pocket and quickly disappearing as he boarded through the side of the van.

Sean dodged around the statue of Rourke, hurrying towards the van himself and disappearing as he jumped into the drivers seat. Taylor raced across the area, ducking briefly at the sound of continuing gunfire, before launching himself forward and catching Jake's hand as it appeared before him; pulling him in through the side of the van. "Thanks..." He said awkwardly, quickly releasing his hand as his skin began to warm and prickle with the uncomfortable tingle of desire. "Still gonna kick your ass when we get back to base though." He said, as Sean gunned the engine to life and pushed them into gear, sending the van lurching forward.

"Heh, like to see ya try-" Jake began, a cocky grin on his face as he brushed his hair from his face, though Taylor didn't notice, panic flaring in his gut as he looked around and saw a face missing.

"Wait, Sean!" He cried, sticking his head out the side door to see Diego had been cut off by three soldiers and forced back to their cover. "We have to turn around! Diego's trapped!"

"We can't, those troops'll swarm us before we can get within ten feet..." Jake said, leaning around him and gesturing towards the clearing smoke. Taylor shook his head, pulling back into the van and turning to the bike.

"Then we don't take the van." He said, glancing over at Aleister, where he stood by the back doors, hanging onto a rail for dear life as the van lurched and swerved dangerously. "Get those doors open." He barked, quickly removing the straps he'd used to secure the bike. He swung his leg over the bike and removed his bag, tossing it onto the passenger seat behind him.

"That's  _suicide!_  What the hell are ya-" Jake protested, falling silent as Taylor glared up at him fiercely, his eyes lit by the fire of his determination.

"If you don't open them, I  _will_  go through them." He warned, turning the key and revving the bikes engine quickly. Jake hesitated a moment longer, before stepping back to the doors and reluctantly taking hold of the handle. He glanced at Taylor, who nodded firmly, before Jake threw the doors open and quickly stepped back. "We'll catch up, and meet you by the dropoff point!" He yelled, before gunning the engine roughly and racing the bike out the back of the van, wobbling briefly as he hit the ground, before leaning low over the bike and racing back towards Hartfeld.

His heart hammered as he sped towards the gathering soldiers, his eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Diego pressing back against the doors, his face painted with fear as he peeked around the corner at the swarming guards crowding towards him. He twisted the accelerator, pushing the bike faster and forcing the guards to scatter as they turned with wide eyes at the sound of his approach. "Diego!" He called, hitting the brake and skidding to a halt just past his friend, who stared at him in disbelief. "What? Didn't think I'd leave without my best friend before I got a chance go kick his ass, do ya?" He asked, snickering as he glanced at the soldiers reconvening before them.

Diego blinked, finally laughing as he swung himself quickly behind Taylor and grabbed a smoke bomb from his bag, tossing it into the crowd ahead if them and momentarily blocking them from sight. "Dude, I ever tell you; you are the  _best,_  best friend ever..." He chuckled, wrapping his arms around Taylors stomach as he revved the engine and smirked.

"Say that again after I kick your ass later, assbutt." He sniggered, the bike wheel-spinning briefly before launching forward, charging toward the clearing smoke and scattering the soldiers once more.

 _"Woooo!"_  Diego cheered, laughing as they sped past the music department and chased after the van. "Dude, this is awesome!"

"Enjoy it while it lasts!" Taylor called over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes as the wind whipped past them. "Once we get back, I'm sticking you all on cleanup duty for a month!" He threatened, as Diego laughed and held on tighter. Taylor glanced back over his shoulder, smirking at his friend as his heart finally began to thaw of the panic which had consumed him.

He noticed a bright spark of light to the right briefly, and frowned as they raced along the road. "Taylor!" Diego yelled, pointing ahead at the metal spikes which protruded from the road ahead of them. Taylor gasped, hitting the brake too late as the bike collided with the spike strip, launching them into the air.

"Aah!" Taylor cried, his eyes wide as he reached for his friend in vain, as they spun and sailed away from each other. Time seemed to slow as he caught sight of a van parked amid some bushes, guards pouring out as he and Diego soared through the air. He looked ahead, to see shapes materialise from thin air suddenly, followed by the appearance of a helicopter in the distance, racing towards them. A moment later however, time corrected itself and Taylor collided with the hard ground; his world turning black around him.

Taylor lost himself in dreams, memories of pasts long behind him. He recalled the laughter of his friends as they partied at The Celestial hotel, the jokes and jibes they traded while hiking across the jungle. He remembered every blazing touch, of his pilots fingers across his skin. It was to a persistant dull drone and the muffled voices, as well as the familiar sensation of his own blazing skin, that he slowly blinked his eyes open. His vision was blurry, as he attempted to look around, only to be held down by a firm hand. "Keep still." Ordered a soft voice, breaking through the muffled din of sound blocking his ears. "You're gonna have a mighty sore head, when you actually come 'round. No sense in makin' it worse by movin' around too much too soon..."

"...  _Nnng."_  Taylor hummed, weakly trying to brush the hand from his hair, only to find his fingers grasped tightly instead, his skin turning warm and prickling familiarly. "Top Gun..." He complained tiredly, wriggling his hand free as he tried to touch his head, wondering why it was aching so fiercely. "What happened..?" He groaned, shifting as he tried to sit up, only for his fingers to be captured once more before he could discover the source of the pain in his head.

"You were  _damn_  lucky, is what happened. Nearly damn well killed yaself when that bike crashed..." Taylor gasped, his eyes opening fully as he shot up, recalling the moment he'd sailed through the air and his rough landing upon the road. His breath quickened as he lurched to his feet, panicking as he turned and looked around the helicopter urgently.

"Wha- what happened? Where are we? Wha..." He paused, groaning as he hung his head, his palm pressing to his aching temple as he gripped a hand hold tightly. "Urghh... Oh my god, my head hates me..." He complained weakly, wincing as he pulled his hand away and spotted red splashed across his palm. He glanced out the side of the helicopter, as they began to descend, to see the skylight opening wide below them.

"Yeah, Michelle's gonna have a field day with you." Sean laughed, as Taylor felt his cheeks stain red, watching Jake slowly rise to his feet from where he'd been holding him on the floor. The pilots gaze never left his own, until Taylor swallowed and looked away quickly.

"They sent the spikes out just after we passed. Caught the movement in the mirrors and pulled back to move 'em outta ya way, but you came up too quick..." Jake explained, as Taylor cleared his throat, looking over at Estela and Craig, as the pair traded nervous glances. "We were comin' back for ya, but the Imperials were closer... It's only 'cause of these guys openin' fire that we managed to reach ya at all..." He said, gesturing to Mike, and the others who had remained in the helicopter.

"Well, we certainly appreciate the help," Taylor huffed, as Mike carefully landed the helicopter in the cavern, the door quickly opening as Sean and Craig hopped out, Aleister following after them quickly. "I'm guessin' I'll have to let you outta that ass kicking for awhile, assbutt..." He admitted with a grimace, touching his head again briefly, before glancing around; at the silence which greeted him. "Diego?"

"Taylor..." Estela said, glancing at Mike as he flipped off the various switches and dials to power down the helicopter, the pilot glancing back to Jake briefly. "Taylor, we tried-"

"Where the hell is Diego?" Taylor demanded, scowling as he glanced around the helicopter again to make sure he hadn't missed him somewhere. He pushed past Jake, stumbling as he jumped from the helicopter and looked after Sean Craig and Aleister, his gut churning with sharp lances of fear. "Wh-"

"Like I said. They got to ya first." Jake said, hopping down from the helicopter nimbly, his gaze guarded as he approached Taylor cautiously. "We tried, Boy Scout... But they took him away before we could get to him. We barely got to you..." He said, glancing at Mike quickly, as he slowly exited the drivers door.

Taylor swallowed thickly, lowering his gaze to the pilots feet as he stepped backwards. _No... no, not again._.. He thought as he backed away, his eyes rising to meet Jake's calm cerulean gaze in wide eyed grief. His mouth opened, but no sound escaped him, his throat constricting painfully.  _Again... failed again_. He thought, shaking his head slightly as he choked out a half sob.

"Taylor-" Estela called in concern, as Jake took a step towards him, only for Taylor to finally manage to choke out a sound of distress from deep within hua throat. Jake's gaze softened, as Taylors eyes flooded with the mute guilt, fear and grief he felt. He choked raggedly, unable to stand the pilots show of compassion, quickly lowering his gaze as he backed away, extending his arm defensively as he turned and strode across the cavern.

 _Every time I try to help, someone gets hurt._.. He thought, swallowing heavily against the hard lump in his throat, his heart hammering painfully against his ribs.  _Every choice I make, one; if not all, of my friends pays the price_. He gagged on his self hatred, stumbling into the hall and leaning against the wall briefly, his stomach churning with nausea as he tried to catch his breath; unable to remember when he'd begun panting. He pushed away from the wall, staggering blindly through the corridor until he found a familiar heavy door and pounded on it with both fists. "Zahra!" He gasped, choking on his own breath as he continued to reign blows upon her door. "Open the damn door, Zah-..!"

He stepped back as the door swung open, hurrying to slip through and reach the hackers terminal. The stern girls fingers were already flying over her keys, and Taylor knew better than to ask as her sharp eyes darted over several screens, biting his lip hard enough to break the skin as he tried to contain his urgent requests. "It wasn't your fault." Zahra said quietly, as Taylor shook his head firmly. "They were quick, there was nothing more you could do." She added, as Taylor scoffed and scanned his eyes over her various screens.

"I should never have let him come with me in the first place." He croaked hoarsely, shaking his head irritably. "I should have-"

"Shut up." Zahra said suddenly, her fingers falling still as she sat back in surprise and stared at her middle, left screen. The Rourke International logo blazed to life, spinning slowly before moving towards the screen and dissolving into a live feed, direct from the palace.

"Hello, Taylor." Rourke greeted smugly, as Taylor grit his teeth, his hand curling into a fist. "I know you're watching. No doubt hidden away in your little hole, as you are so content to do. With your other little friends, within The Selected." He said, the camera zooming out from Rourke's face to show him sat on the royal throne, his chin resting lightly on his palm. "Well, minus one of course." Rourke chuckled, his smug grin turning feral as he gestured to the camera, the feed immediately switching to Diego, as he struggled against tight bindings and scowled at the camera, a gag preventing him from speaking.

 _"Diego!"_  Taylor choked roughly, his throat stinging from the pain in his heart, as he beheld his friends furious gaze, his bleeding brow and heavily bruised cheek.

"Now, I'm not an unreasonable man." Rourke said, the camera panning back to him as he stood and slowly descended the three steps below his throne. "I'm more than prepared to spare the life of your friend. As everyone knows, I am a benevolent and generous leader... But, I am also stern." He said slowly, pausing as he raised a hand and wagged his finger back and forth slowly. "And you've been a very, bad boy, Taylor."

"He is  _such_  a fucking peacock..." Zahra scoffed, scowling as she began to type again, ignoring the feed as her fingers flew furiously across her keys. "I am so sick of his voice."

Taylor didnt respond, his eyes remaining glued to the screen as Rourke walked slowly towards Diego. "I believe this man, has been misled by you Taylor, as so many have been misled..." He said, as Diego struggled against his bonds furiously, clearly attempting to deny his declaration, but unable to speak around his gag. "As such, I am willing to offer you a trade. You give yourself up, and your friend here goes free. Your little friends lay down their arms, and each and every one of them will be allowed to return to their lives. Jacob McKenzie, and Michael Darwin, will be pardoned in full; and I'll even allow them to take up simple lives, away from the military, if they so wish." He said, as Diego shook his head vehemently at the camera, his eyes wide as he tried to yell through his gag.

Zahra stared at the screen in shock, her fingers frozen mid hover over her keys as Rourke's grin turned predatory. "Or, of course, if your friend here means nothing to you..." He hummed, tipping his chin towards the camera, which zoomed out and turned to show a row of soldiers, their weapons raised and ready; aimed directly at Diego. "Then he can face your execution in your place." He said smugly, as Diego screamed, the sound muffled bt his gag as he shook his head desperately. "You have until noon tomorrow to make your decision, Taylor. Do enjoy your night."

Taylor swallowed thickly as the screen turned dark, his gaze lowering slowly to the floor. "That was a national feed, sent to every tv, computer or handheld device..." Zahra muttered, typing quickly as she frantically tried to hack into Rourke's server. "If I can just-"

"I think I should go lie down..." Taylor hummed over her quietly, turning as Zahra looked over at him in surprise. "I'm really tired." He sighed, stumbling towards the door

"Taylor..?" Zahra called, frowning after him in concern. He heard her typing quickly resume, followed by a brief sound similar to dialing, but as he stepped out into the hall; the only sound which filled his ears was the roar of his own blood in his veins.

"Ah..." He hissed, his hand rising to his chest as it throbbed painfully.  _Why do they always kidnap Diego._.? He wondered absently, half hanging on the wall as he slowly walked back towards the hanger, stumbling occasionally as he stared into the distance vacantly. _I couldn't save him before, couldn't save him this time... Couldn't save Lila, or Quinn_... He thought, his brow twitching briefly as a spike of irritation passed through him, though it was quickly smothered by his strangely numbing sense of hysteria. _I can't think of a single person, I've ever actually saved... In this life or any other_. He thought, moving through the hanger as if sleepwalking, leaning through the passenger window of the van to grab his bag. He swung it over his shoulder, and glanced inside, pausing as he looked down at the flare gun and spare flare.

 _But I could_. He thought suddenly, swallowing as he stared down into his bag blankly, his finger gently tracing the flare gun.  _I could save Diego._  He thought, his brows rising as he realised the potentially simple solution. He glanced around the hanger, noticing Jake and Mike talking beside the helicopter in hushed whispers, and was relieved that his numbed state prevented him from feeling the deep sting of loss he usually felt upon seeing the pair together. He turned his head the other direction, to the small collection of bike's in the back of the hanger. "Hmm..." He hummed quietly, heading over and selecting a small dirt bike, walking it over to the far wall slowly. He opened a panel on the wall, as he swung his leg over the bike, entering a four digit code and simultaneously turning the key.

"Taylor -?" Mike called, as he and Jake looked over at the sound, only to look behind them in surprise suddenly, as the cavern exit began to open amid a warning alarm.

"Stop him!" Zahra's shocked voice called over the emergency speakers, as Taylor revved his engine and stared at the widening gap at the far end of the cavern. "He's used the emergency override on the doors! I need at least forty seconds to cancel it and get them back under control!" She yelled, as Jake and Mike raced toward him from the helicopter, and Richard appeared from the opposite side of the cavern, moving to intercept as Taylor revved the engine again.

"Not this time..." He whispered, twisting the accelerator and flying forward, speeding across the cavern noisily, as his bike screamed beneath him. He flew over the edge of the hidden wall, sailing down the side of Mount Atropo and racing along the road. He narrowed his eyes, pushing his bike to move faster as his heart raced, aching with loss and the familiar pain of his best friend being stolen; from his very grasp. He gasped, relishing the freedom of the ride as he raced across the island, his eyes locked ahead of him as if the path he desired glowed before them.

His bike groaned, leaping up the side of a small bank and over a flower bed, where he quickly dismounted, allowing the bike to fall to the ground uncaringly. " _You want me, Rourke_?!" He yelled, thrusting his hand into his bag and gripping his flare gun tightly, drawing it out and aiming it into the sky above him with a scowl. " _Here I am!_ " He cried, pulling the trigger and launching the flare into the air, its trail of red blazing through the sky like a beacon for anyone looking. _He just wants to kill me anyway..._ Taylor thought, his breath catching as his heart lurched against his chest. His hand delved back into his bag, digging out his final flare and loading it into his gun. _At least this way, he'll let Diego go._ He thought, closing his eyes for a moment, as he recalled every memory of his best friend from his various lifetimes. A small smile gracing his lips briefly, before it twisted into a grimace, his arm raising into the air as he opened his eyes and scowled at the sky hatefully. " _Come and ge-_ "

The whine of an engine startled him, and he flinched as a bike roared over the bank, skidding to fall on its side as a body collided with his own, knocking the flare gun from his hand. "What the  _hell_  are ya tryin' to do, huh?" Jake demanded, scowling as he shoved Taylor hard, sending him stumbling backwards in surprise. "Ya really think any of that horseshit was real, huh? Ya think for a single second that smug bastard would keep  _any_  promise he made?"

"What, am I supposed to just sit around and let other people die for me? While I  _hide?"_  Taylor demanded, recovering his temper and throwing the pilots words back at him, as he scowled at Jake furiously. "What the  _hell_  is it to do with you? If Rourke kills me, then you and your boyfriend get a full pardon, Diego gets his  _life!_  What the hell am I  _supposed_  to do?!"

"How about not be a goddamn idiot, and believe his pathetic lies!" Jake growled, running a hand through his hair as he paced between Taylor and his flare gun, blocking him from trying to reclaim the weapon. "How about be the leader everyone believe ya are? Think of something,  _anything-"_

"I  _did_  think of something." Taylor spat, sneering at Jake coldly.  _"You_  came and interfered. Like always." He said, his eyes narrowing as they stung with the threat of tears.

"Oh, so ya blame me for not lettin' ya go on a suicide mission, is that it?" Jake demanded, coming to a halt as he scoffed and shook his head in irritation. "You're a real piece of work, you shouldn'ta tried to go it alone in the first place-"

"At least then you wouldn't have  _been_  there!" Taylor yelled, turning away and throwing his bag as far as he could, as his fury and self hatred overwhelmed him. "At least I would have been able to think clearly, because you wouldn't have been there to distract me! I could have figured something out, I could have... I, I could've..." He trailed off, his hand in his hair as he paced fractiously, shaking his head as he choked and gasped for breath.

"What?" Jake balked, stepping closer cautiously as he frowned at Taylor, who scoffed and turned away impatiently. "Whaddaya mean, I was distractin' ya? I didn't do a damn thi-"

"You don't bloody need to, you were  _there!"_  Taylor cried, his anger dissipating, melting into despair as his shoulder began to hitch with awkward and reluctant sobs. "You were  _there,_  and  _so close!_  And it was as if things had never changed! It was like we were a team again..! Like I didn't..."

"Didn't what?" Jake asked slowly, as Taylor swallowed heavily and scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, shaking his head as he found himself unable to answer. "Hey, didn-" the pilot asked again, his voice rising in irritation at Taylors silence.

"Didn't screw everything up again! Didn't  _break_  the  _world!"_  Taylor cried, spinning and shoving the pilots chest hard, pushing Jake away from where he'd moved closer. "Didn't break everything I  _ever_  cared about by trusting Rourke and his stupid,  _stupid_  deal!" He finally choked, shoving the pilot away again as he took another step closer.  _"Don't!"_  He protested, as Jake returned again, ignoring the continued efforts Taylor made to force him back.

"It weren't your fault." Jake said quietly, advancing as Taylor lashed out and tried to push him away again, unwittingly backing himself against The Celestial entrance wall, as he alternate shoved at Jake and stepped back. Finally, he shoved at Jake, only for the pilot to capture his wrists, holding them against the wall beside his shoulders. "It weren't ya fault, Boy Scout."

Taylor choked, swallowing heavily as he barely contained his sobs, the fight leaving him as his shoulders finally sagged in defeat. "... Yes, it was." He said, gasping out a great sigh, as he tipped his head back against the wall. "It was, Top Gun. I should have never been so selfish, I should've just-"

"Ya weren't selfish!" Jake insisted, his fingers curling beneath Taylors chin as he forced him to meet his eyes. "You made a choice, and neither option was great! But, you picked the one... which I asked ya to." He said, swallowing thickly as Taylors eyes widened, his jaw slacking faintly as he stared up at the pilots breaking gaze. "I convinced ya to do it... I pleaded, I begged for you to take that deal. And you did it... For  _me."_  Jake said thickly, drawing in a deep breath as he shook his head faintly. "Ya can't blame yourself. That guilt ya feel, its  _misplaced._  Ya not to blame..." He muttered, as Taylor averted his gaze.

"You..." He choked, squirming as he tried to free himself from the pilots grasp. "What the hell do you care if I blame myself?" He gasped, fighting Jake's tightening hold as hysteria flared in his chest, the pilots words striking him like a blow to the heart. "Don't gimme that bullshit about not my fault! You blame me just as much as I-"

"No, I don't ya bloody idiot!" Jake growled, rolling his eyes as he resisted Taylors attempts to push him away again. "I blamed  _me!"_  He spat, as Taylor paused and blinked, his brow furrowing as he stared at Jake in confusion. "Why'd ya think I never came to find ya, Boy Scout?" Jake demanded, squeezing Taylors wrists imploringly as his fury died, replaced by a bitter regret within his clear eyes. _"I_  pushed ya to make that choice!  _I_  made ya do this _! I_  made ya break the world! It weren't you, it was  _me!"_  He cried, his voice rising in distress.

Taylor stared up in wide eyed disbelief, as Jake's walls finally crumbled, his heart lurching as he recognized a familiar gleam of affection in them. "I should've never made ya do it." Jake said, his eyes searching Taylors for a moment, as he swallowed thickly. Taylor barely had a chance to gasp at the words, before Jake surged forward and sealed their mouths into a heated kiss.

The pilots lips were demanding, his teeth grazing Taylors injured lip and causing him to yelp, parting for the other man as Jake released his wrists. Taylors hands immediately flew to the pilots shoulders, pushing weakly as he tried to pull away, before the pilots hand slid to the back of his neck, drawing him closer and preventing his escape. His fingers curled into Jake's jacket, as the pilots teeth nipped at his lip, drawing a small groan from him and melting the last of his resolve.

His body yearned for the familiar closeness, the comfort the pilot was offering to provide his aching heart. His hands curled tightly into the pilots hair, his heart thundering against the pilots chest as he kissed him with as much fervor and desire as the pilot was eagerly expressing for him. He whined, his body lit by the fire of longing as he twisted himself closer to the pilot. Jake tore free of his lips, his stubble scratching faintly, as he eagerly kissed along Taylors shoulder and up his throat, his teeth regularly nipping and grazing the skin roughly.

Taylor gasped, arching in delight, his body singing beneath his pilots touch as it always had.  _Except he isn't mine_... The thought sped through his mind as if fired from a gun, quickly followed by another, as Jake obliviously lavished his throat with delirious kisses.  _Is this how he made Mike feel over the years..?_  He choked, his heart thudding to a sudden halt as if doused with ice water. He shoved hard against Jake's chest, before he quickly turned away, his hand flying to his mouth as he panted heavily and tried to catch his breath.

Jake blinked in surprise, stumbling back several steps before frowning and reaching for him again. "Boy Scout-?" He murmured confusedly, only for Taylor to flinch away from his approaching touch, his heart trembling in his chest as he ignored its pleas for him to return to the pilots embrace.

"Don't call me that." He muttered, skitting around Jake quickly and grabbing his things, before lifting his bike. "I'm not your damn Boy Scout... not here." He choked quietly, his throat constricting as his eyes watered. He swung his leg over his bike as Jake approached him, his arm stretched towards him as Taylor quickly turned the key in his engine, before looking up at Jake; the heartache he felt plain to see in his broken expression. "You had a choice..." He said brokenly, swallowing thickly as Jake flinched guiltily. "You chose Mike." Without giving the pilot a chance to reply, he revved his engine and twisted the accelerator hard, shooting away from The Celestial, and from the pilot who was no longer his.

Taylor choked, his eyes stinging and dampening his cheeks as he flew across the island, racing back toward the bunker before he could reconsider and return to the pilot he'd left behind. His heart ached in his chest, his grief stronger than ever after discovering that something of the man he loved, had in fact been within this world's Jake all along. Taylor gasped, his hiccupped sobs coming faster as he felt the lingering tingle of Jake's rough, demanding kiss on his lips. As he raced across the island, he tried desperately to reign in his emotions, to lock his heart within the steel walls he'd built over the years he'd spent in Rourke's world; only to find it too swollen, his yearning for the pilot too fresh and his pain too raw.

Taylor returned to the bunker in a flustered state, dumping his bike unceremoniously to the ground. "Taylor, thank-" Mike began, only for Taylor to wince, shaking his head as he quickly avoided the approaching pilot, ducking out of the cavern and into the hall. He trotted down the corridor, his heart hammering in both longing and regret.

He flinched when a hand clamped around his arm suddenly, just as he was about to enter his room, holding him back and preventing him the opportunity to hide and recompose himself. He turned his widened eyes to see Sean beside him, clearing his throat awkwardly as he avoided looking at the wild emotions Taylor wore obviously on his face. "Sorry man," he said quietly, gently but firmly leading him down the corridor. "Michelle's orders."

Taylor swallowed thickly, nodding in mute understanding as his heart fluttered with familiar joy; despite the heavy blanket of guilt which consumed him. _I guess it really doesn't matter what world we're in, he still has the power to steal my breath away_... He thought distantly, blinking as he allowed Sean to lead him to the medical bay, his mind lost in a sea of remembered kisses.

"Taylor! Thank god..." Michelle called, walking over as Sean guided him to a gurney, sitting him carefully upon it. The blonde set about examining him carefully, turning his head towards her when he half turned to look over to Grace and Aleister, the pair utterly absorbed by each other as she cradled her swollen stomach. He hummed distantly, allowing Michelle to reposition him again as she removed his shirt and began to clean up his various wounds, using a small bandage to secure his head wound.

 _Shame Rourke cast Aleister aside as a traitor_... He thought vacantly, glancing back at the pale man again as Michelle released his head.  _He could have just marched right into the palace and handed me Diego through that servant quarter window_. He snorted quietly, shaking his head as he looked down at his lap. He drew in a deep breath, about to sigh, when a thought struck him; and he instead ended up holding it.

"Taylor..? You okay?" Michelle asked gently, as his brow slowly creased into thoughtful frown. He hummed noncommittally, his mind racing with mounting excitement as the hospice door opened, and several other bodies entered. "Okay... Well, you've got a pretty nasty concussion; so I'd avoid sleeping fo-"

"No sleep, got it." Taylor hummed quickly, dropping from the gurney and squirming away from the blonde quickly. He made his way over to Grace and Aleister, ignoring Michelle's protests and calls for him to return. "Grace, I'm really sorry but... I need to borrow Aleister for a second." He said, placing his hand over Grace's quickly, as she looked up at him in surprise.

"Taylor, while I appreciate everything you did for me, and I understand that it cost you dearly..." Aleister sneered, his eyes narrowing at Taylor as he gripped the edge of Grace's bed tightly. "There is no chance of my leaving her side again, especially-"

"Aleister, go with him." Grace said firmly, looking up at the pale man with a determined gaze, as he flinched and gazed down at her in disbelief. "Please, if Taylor needs you... It's not like I'm going anywhere, and we have plenty of time yet." She said quietly, looking over at Taylor with her dark eyes all but glowing with compassion. "Thankyou, Taylor..."

"I always keep my promises." He said quietly, looking up at Aleister in determination. "And now I'm going to keep another." He said, tipping his head towards the exit. Aleister sighed, bending to kiss Grace's brow affectionately, before reluctantly rising and gesturing for Taylor to lead the way.

He turned on his heel and led the pale man through the hospice door, ignoring the small congregation of people who'd crowded in behind him; most especially, the pair of pilots right beside the exit. He jogged down the hall towards Zahra's command centre, Aleister easily keeping pace with his long legs. "Snape, open up." Taylor called as they approached, and by the time they reached her door, it had already swung open to admit them.

"You are the stupidest, stubbornest, goddamn-" Zahra began, blinking in surprise as Aleister strode in behind Taylor, both ignoring her as they strode over to his blueprint table. "What's going on?" She asked suspiciously, rolling her chair over to join then, as Taylor spread out his blueprint and hunched over it.

"I want you to tell me where this servant passage would come out inside the palace." Taylor said, looking up at Aleister determinedly. "And, I want you to show me where Rourke would be most likely to keep Dieg-"

"Taylor, I told you already, this won't work!" Zahra protested, scowling as she gestured to the alarms she'd already explained. "You cannot get into this place undetected, it's not possible!"

"I know, I don't intend to." He said dismissively, shaking his head at Zahra as he glanced up at her, tapping the blueprints main entrance. "I'm going to walk right through the front doors... While someone else rescues Diego."

"That's the dumbest thing I've heard you suggest yet." Taylor glanced over his shoulder, as Jake, Mike, Richard, Sean, Craig and Estela all invaded Zahra's space, ignoring her glare as they crowded around Taylors blueprints. "Didn't you learn anything, the last time you tried to go it alone?" Jake demanded, glaring at Taylor as he shook his head dismissively.

"I won't be alone." He said, returning his attention to the blueprints before him briefly, his eyes moving over the paper rapidly. "We're all going." He added after a moment, straightening and turning to his friends determinedly. "He doesn't expect me to actually hand myself in... And he  _certainly_  won't be expecting me to do it with an army of my own behind me."

"Yeah, but his army is bigger... And he'll shoot us outta the sky before we even get close to the palace!" Craig cried, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at Taylor.

"Not if they're not there." Taylor said, shaking his head as his lip curled into a small parody of a grin. "Rourke's been looking for our base ever since we fell off his radar... I say it's about time he found it, or rather... something he'll believe is it."

"You-" Zahra's eyes widened, catching on quickly as she glanced back at his blueprint. "For the chance to wipe out your base, Rourke would probably send out almost the entire Imperial Army..."

"Leaving his palace suitably unprotected." Aleister drawled quietly, glancing up at Taylor with a small frown. "Quite the ingenious plan, actually..."

"I feel like I should be offended, Aleister." Taylor huffed, folding his arms over his chest as he turned to look at his friend, ignoring the burning gaze he still felt locked onto his back. "You seem surprised that I could have a good idea."

"I  _am,_  your ideas are usually atrocious." The pale man countered lightly, drawing several quiet titters from his friends, as he gazed at Taylor curiously. "But I don't understand why you think this is the servant passage." He said, tapping the path leading to the window Taylor had indicated.

"Isn't it?" Taylor asked, frowning as he looked back at the blueprint where Aleister gestured.

"Not at all, that's the palace dungeons." Aleister said, shaking his head as his confident gaze met Taylors astonished one. "That's where he's holding the Anachronists."


	18. In This World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go now....  
> This... probably clears most of it all up for you now tbh, except i hope just what will happen next chapter...
> 
> This has been such an amazing journey and i cant thankyou all enough for the amazing support youve all given me. I would never have finished thus without you.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this. I laughed, i cried. Though its partly due to my neck ache; it was mostly the emotional monster ive become cuz of this though...
> 
> So... i hope to have the finale ready soon... im actually kinda annoyed at myself because i have a thing about even numbers and thers now gonna be 19 chapters cuz i split this one... still; worth it i think.
> 
> Sorry, like i said, neck ache - it makes me weird. I need me a jake massage...
> 
> Anyway; thankyou again. Hope you enjoy, again... im gonna snooze now and start the final in the morning xxx
> 
> x My love to you all x

_I know none of you blamed me there, but that only made it worse... You're all that I've ever cared about, and I took your lives from you; just to play at having one of my own. As long as I live, exist, whatever... I'll never forgive myself_.

**18.**

**In This World.**

Taylor zipped his bag closed, pausing to look around his quarters vacantly. He raised a hand to his forehead, grimacing as he brushed Michelle's bandage aside and shook his head, relishing the cool air against his skin. He drew in a deep breath, glancing at his watch briefly, before pulling his bag to his shoulder and moving to his door. He strode through determinedly, closing the door behind him with a click, before heading down the corridor towards the infirmary.

He peeked around the door, and when he found no sign of Michelle, he quickly slipped inside, quietly avoiding the bed where Grace and Aleister were absorbed with the bundle of blankets around their newborn son, and hurrying to the curtained area at the back. "Hey Ariel..." He murmured, quickly dropping into the chair beside her bed, dumping his bag gently to the floor so he could take up Quinn's hand. "I really wish you could wake up... It doesn't feel right, ending this; knowing you won't be able to benefit from it." He whispered, swallowing thickly as he pressed his lips to her palm gently, careful to avoid the tubes and wires connected to the back of her hand.

"I always hoped, that you'd be here for the end... That I'd find some way to save you again." He murmured, drawing in a deep breath as his heart ached, his eyes running over Quinn's gaunt face and body. "I should never have taken that deal... Never have done this to you, to any of you; to the world. But, I'm finally gonna make it right." He said, reaching over to gently brush her dulled hair from her face, his finger resting lightly against her hollowed cheek. "I'm gonna make him pay for everything. For the lies, for the pain, for... for all of it." He said quietly, swallowing thickly as his face crumpled, squeezing her hand briefly before quickly drawing in a sharp breath

"You uh, you'd be pleased to know that Jake apparently does remember me." He said with false cheer, trying to mask the grief in his heart as he smiled and leaned closer to Quinn conspiratorially. "He even kissed me..." He said in a scandalized whisper, chuckling quietly as he imagined the redheads excitement. "Honestly, I would have let him do whatever the hell he wanted if I hadn't remembered Mike at that moment..." He admitted with a guilty grimace, biting his lip as he rubbed her palm against his cheek gently. "I couldn't... be that person. Couldn't let him be. So I was strong." He said, before huffing and rolling his eyes, looking at Quinn with a small smile. "Okay, fine... I ran away."

He snorted quietly, staring down at her peaceful face for a long moment, shaking his head as his throat alternately throbbed and stung, constricting tightly as he recalled the pilots blistering kiss. "You know it doesn't matter what world we're in... That man utterly owns me." He admitted in a rough whisper, sighing shakily as he felt moisture truckle over his cheek. He flinched when he heard the hospice door open, quickly wiping his cheek as he looked back at Quinn and gently squeezed her palm. "But anyway, I uh... I should let you rest." He said, clearing his throat quietly before pushing to his feet. "Besides, I have a final stand to make! Heh, I hope you're ready to hear wild tales of adventure and heroics as soon as I get back." He said lightly, leaning forward to press a lingering kiss to her motionless brow, his eyes squeezing tight as his heart clenched tight with grief.

As Taylor exhaled sharply, he drew back from Quinn, grabbing his bag from the floor and swinging it over his shoulder. He slipped through the curtains quietly, glancing back at Quinn's peacefully sleeping face and swallowing heavily before moving toward again, allowing her curtain to fall between them. "Taylor," Grace called, beaming as she caught sight of him. Aleister glanced up with a faint smile, gently rocking his son in his arms as the bundle of blankets writhed and squirmed. "Are you heading out now?"

"Yes, just came to let Quinn know we were gonna give Rourke hell..." He said, smiling gently as he stepped closer and peeked at the tiny face grimacing from within the blankets. "You're lucky, he looks just like you Grace..." He said, snickering as Aleister rolled his eyes.

"As much as it pains me to agree with someone who's such an idiot," the pale man drawled, smiling down at Grace softly. "On this one occasion, I have to admit he's not wrong." He huffed, bending to kiss Grace tenderly as she blushed.

"Oh, you..." She giggled, swatting him away gently as she watched him cradle their newborn. She turned back to Taylor, reaching for his hand as her brow creased in concern. "Promise me you'll be careful though, Taylor? I'd really like to be able to tell Reginald that his Uncle Taylor will be coming home soon..."

"You let Aleister name him, didn't you?" Taylor grinned, chuckling as she smiled. He bent forward and kissed her hand, before quickly drawing away. "Don't worry about me, just focus on the cute one. I expect cuddles when I get back!" He said, laughing as he released Grace's hand and backed away to the door.

"You'll be lucky if I don't wring your neck." Michelle groused, as Taylor yelped and turned to find her barring his exit, her hands on her hips as she scowled at him.

"Okay, we really need to work on your motivational speeches..." Taylor said, quickly recovering himself as he flashed a confident smirk at the blonde. "'Cause I gotta say, that does not inspire me to come see you when I get back..."

"Don't you get smart with me, Taylor." She said, narrowing her eyes as she jabbed a finger into his chest. "I expect you to come back in one piece, with no injuries and... and..." She broke off, biting her lip as her words abandoned her.

Taylor rubbed his chest briefly, before sighing and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, pressing his cheek to her hair as he held her close. "Don't worry, Maybelline." He said, squeezing her shoulders gently. "It was always gonna come to this. We're better prepared than they are, they won't expect us to have the guts to attack the palace itself... And besides, most of the Army will already have been dispensed to the decoy. By the time they get back, it'll all be over."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Michelle sighed, drawing free of his hold to peer up at him pleadingly. "Please, let me come and just be on hand for everyone. I feel like I'm letting you all down..."

"Hey, that's not true." He said, smiling as he tipped his head at the new parents and Quinn's private area. "These guys need you way more than any of us... I need you to keep an eye on them for me. I promised Quinn a fantastic story of victory when I get back, and promised cuddles to the miniature one..." He snorted, jostling Michelle fondly as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Just... Get your ass back here in one piece, Taylor." The blonde warned, jabbing him in the chest again, as she collected a small chart and moved away to check up on Grace.

"Yes, if you could avoid perishing, that would be preferable." Aleister called distractedly, handing his son to Michelle carefully.

"Heh," Taylor huffed fondly, taking a moment to bask in the soft contentment of the makeshift hospice ward. "Don't perish. Got it, Malfoy..." He chuckled, saluting roughly as he backed away and let the hospice door quietly flop closed between them. He drew in a deep breath, savouring the warmth of his friends joy a moment longer, before turning abruptly and heading for the hanger.

He entered to the busiest jumble of bodies he'd ever seen in the cavern, people rushing to and fro with weapons and distractionary projectiles; while groups of four Vaanti carried heavy missiles between their shoulders, loading them into the helicopters launchers. "Wow..." He breathed, watching the commotion in awe as his friends prepared bags to take with them.

"Boss!" Richard called, pouting from the pilot seat of the smallest helicopter. "I'm not gonna lie, I'm bummed to be missin' out on all the fun... But ya know we gotcha covered, right?"

"Yeah..." Taylor huffed, walking over to grasp his hand briefly. "I'm trusting you to give 'em hell, Richard... But don't worry, I guarantee Raj'll be throwing a huge victory party by the time you get back."

"Haha, boss man, my heart was born for the parties..." Richard laughed, a cocky grin on his face as he winked and ran final checks on his helicopter. "See ya at the after party, right?"

"Which after party?" Taylor huffed, stepping back as ge gripped his bag and shifted it around his hip. "The after party; or the after, after party?" He asked, sniggering and waving briefly as Richard brayed with loud laughter.

Taylor snorted as the pilot began to lift his helicopter into the air, drifting lazily through the skylight and disappearing from sight as he moved away. "Good luck, idjit..." He huffed, shaking his head as he walked over to Estela, tapping her on the shoulder as he passed. "Sure you have enough guns in there, Katniss?" He asked with amusement, peeking into the crate of weaponry she was assembling.

"Not really, I wanted to put the mini grenade launcher in and the laser canon, but Craig's hijacked that and won't give it back..." She said seriously, looking up at him with a raised brow when he began to laugh loudly.

"Yeah, he likes lasers and he likes canons... So, both together?" He snickered, shaking his head as he glanced over to see Craig proudly showing the weapon off to his brother, who stared up at him in awe. "Good luck convincing him not to sleep with the damn thing."

Estela shook her head, looking back at her crate and adjusting some of the rifles, before pausing again. "... This is a terrible idea." She said suddenly, turning towards him with a blush staining her cheeks, as she bit her lip nervously. "I didn't have any friends here when we met, I wasn't pleasant to you or even polite, and I didn't care about your whole... Movement. Thing." She said, averting her eyes as she toyed with the grip of a pistol. "You never let my attitude put you down. You never gave up on me, Taylor... You gave me something I never even realised I needed..."

"Annoying one liners, terrifying driving skills and an inability to reset bomb timers?" Taylor hedged lightly, grinning as Estela's awkwardness evaporated at his playful jibe.

"Friendship." She said, rolling her eyes in exasperation, despite the tiny hitch of her lips to a grin. "Though most of the time, you're just an idiot... You're important to me. Don't do anything stupid, Taylor."

"What, stupider than knocking on Rourke's front door and saying hello?" He asked, whining playfully when she jabbed him in the arm far harder than he felt was necessary.

"Yeah, exactly." She said with a sigh, shaking her head as she turned back to her crate and picked it up. "Just for once, don't find anything stupider than your already stupid plan." She said, walking away to load her weapons into the helicopter.

"She has a point." Sean said with a chuckle, strolling up behind Taylor with an box, filled with an assortment of projectiles. Taylor sighed, rolling his eyes as he turned with his palms spread.

"Does  _anybody_  have  _any_  faith in me or my plans?" He demanded, pouting when Sean merely began to laugh at him loudly.

"I got faith in ya," Jake commented lightly from beside the helicopter, helping Mike as the other pilot prepped the helicopter for take off and checked the newly loaded missiles were ready.

"Well..." Taylor coughed, clearing his throat awkwardly as he lowered his eyes from the pilots intense cerulean gaze, his cheeks heating as he recalled the pilots kiss. "Thankyou... even if you were eavesdropping on my conversations aga-"

"Faith in ya to get yaself killed." The pilot added, winking as Taylor looked back at him in surprise, a slow scowl forming on his face as Jake broke out in a cocky smirk.

"You know sometimes I wonder why I-" Taylor began, biting his tongue before he could complete his only partially teasing barb.

"Why ya what?" Jake asked, leaning his arm against the pilot door of the helicopter as he raised his brow in curiosity.

"... Nothing." Taylor said, clearing his throat as he turned back to Sean. "Anyway, you about ready, Cap?" He asked, pointedly ignoring Jake as the pilot snorted in amusement at his childish behaviour.

"Yeah," the former athlete chuckled, shaking his head at Taylors exaggerated interest in his boxed projectiles. "Just doin' the last load up now and then I think we're good." He said, glancing down at his things before moving off to load them into the helicopter. Taylor half turned to watch him go, but noticed Jake watching him still, and hurriedly turned away, walking over join Craig playing with his little brother.

"Haha, that's it Joey!" Craig snickered, as he and the young boy exchanged an overly intricate fist and hip bump combo. "Man, you're gonna be one skilled little dude soon..."

"He's already a skilled dude, even more than you are, Big Guy." Taylor snickered, dodging Craig's jab to the shoulder and sharing an snicker with his little brother.

"Aw c'mon brah, no dissin' me in front of the little man..." Craig complained, pouting over at Taylor, who wisely kept his distance from the former jock. "Who's he supposed to look up to, if not me?"

"Pfft, duh,  _me_  of course." Taylor said, a cocky grin on his face as he winked at Joey, the boy laughing at his brothers snort of amusement.

"Yeah, right." Craig scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. "Taylor, nobody with half a brain looks up to you; you're insane, bro..." He snorted, as Joey giggled delightedly, muttering something which sounded suspiciously like 'burn' to Taylor.

"Okay, well, I can see I'm about as appreciated here as I am everywhere else then." Taylor sniffed, tipping his head to Joey briefly with a small grin. "Gimme five for luck, kid." He said, and Joey grinned as he held out his palm. As Taylor reached forward to touch their hands together however, the child moved his hand away, laughing alongside his brother. "Oh yeah, you're just like your brother." Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as Joey looked up at Craig adoringly. "Come on, Craig... We're nearly ready to head out."

"Sweet." Craig said, slapping his palm to Joeys briefly, before ruffling his hair affectionately. "Be good for your uncle Raj, little man." He said, grinning as they exchanged a final fist bump. "I'll be back before ya can even miss me."

"Assuming you would at all..." Taylor added, laughing as he deftly dodged Craig's second jab. "Aw yeah, I am on a roll- ow!" He began to cheer, only to break off into a yelp as he turned and butted his forehead to Jake's. "What the, oh... Uh, sorry." He muttered, clearing his throat as he realised what he'd hit, rubbing his head as Jake snorted and rubbed his own brow.

"Just lettin' ya know the choppers ready, B- hey!" the pilot said, cutting off and snagging Taylors wrist as he tried to duck around him. "Are you gonna be tryin' to avoid me this whole mission?" He asked flatly, as Taylor scowled and yanked his wrist free, cupping it in his hand as the skin flared hot from the pilots touch, his heart thudding heavily against his chest.

"I'm not avoiding you. I have no reason to avoid you." He said, glancing toward the helicopter briefly to see Mike in the final stages of preparation. "I've been busy, there's a difference. Besides, we should board up." He said coolly, desperately hoping the pilot couldn't hear his racing heart.

"After you." Jake snorted, gesturing to the helicopter with a cocky grin. Taylor narrowed his eyes, turning towards the helicopter and marching toward it determinedly. "So, where's my pep talk? Everyone else had one... I'm gonna feel left out if ya ain't-" Jake asked from behind him, and Taylor turned to see the pilots gaze rise from his ass guiltily.

"Stop that!" He whispered harshly, spinning around to scowl at the pilot. Jake opened his mouth to protest, however his grin made it clear he held no regret for his actions. "Stop confusing me... If you're gonna just be an asshole and keep distracting me, you can damn well stay here."

"Oh, I ain't missin' this ride for anythin'." Jake snorted, pausing as he brushed past Taylor. "Not even if ya begged me..." He murmured, before stalking past, leaving Taylor to swallow heavily at the memories which surged through his heart and mind at the interaction.

"Stupid Top Gun." Taylor muttered darkly, shaking his head as he tried to clear away the tumultuous emotions which tried to overwhelm him at the pilot's intensity. He turned and began to march over to the helicopter again, only to pause when a large body blocked his way suddenly.

"Taylor! Man, I'm glad I caught you!" Raj huffed, smoothing his disturbed man bun back into place on his head. "Here, I made you your favourite cookies for the journey; to remember me by."

"Raj, I assure you, I could not forget you if I tried." Taylor snorted, accepting the small bag of cookies with a raised brow. "But, you do realise we'll barely be gone a day, Julio Child..? If all goes well, that is."

"I know.." Raj huffed, his face falling as he wiped his eyes discreetly. "I just, wanted to feel helpful." He admitted awkwardly, glancing at the others guiltily. "I've never been much of a fighter-"

"Raj, I assure you; you've been enormous help to all of us, just by being you and being here." Taylor said quietly, grasping and squeezing Raj's hand fondly. "Now, I expect the mother of all parties to be waiting for us when we get back, right?" He said, grinning as Raj instantly brightened.

"You know it, doodlejumps!" The large man cheered, beaming a huge grin at Taylor as he bumped their fists together affectionately. Raj clapped him on the shoulder fondly, before moving aside to stand with Joey.

Taylor looked around the hanger with a warmth blossoming in his heart, until his eyes fell upon Varyyn, and guilt consumed him instead. He waited for the Vaanti to approach, lowering his gaze in shame, and startling when instead of a fist colliding with his jaw as he'd expected; the Vaanti's gentle hand settled upon his shoulder. "It was not your fault, Taylor. You did everything you could, and bravely returned for him... The Hydra is conniving in everything he does." Taylor swallowed, finally raising his eyes to meet Varyyn's warm gaze and offering an unconvincing smile. "You will rescue him, yes?" The Vaanti asked, cocking his head curiously.

"Of course." Taylor replied immediately, his hand rising to grasp Varyyn's firmly. "I'd give my life to save any one of you." He said, his smile growing more natural as the Vaanti chuckled. "You know what to do?" He asked, the first flicker of nervous excitement lighting in his gut.

"I do." Varyyn confirmed, releasing Taylor and grinning at him broadly. "We will not fail you, and we shall join you as soon as we can." He added, leaping nimbly aboard the helicopter as Seraxa and three other Vaanti hopped in after him.

"Okay, well, I guess its time to get Rick Rollin'..." He huffed, turning to clamber into the helicopter himself and purposely ignoring Jake's offered hand. "Wow, this thing is huge compared to Martha..."

"Martha?" Jake snorted, as Taylor turned to him with a small pout. "You named ya helicopters?" The pilot scoffed, his eyes glittering with amusement as he grinned widely at him.

"Yes, Mr. Nosey." Taylor grouses, though he couldn't hide the small smile which formed, the pilots genuine warmth and amusement impossible for him to brush off. "Richard is in Martha, we are in Bertha. Satisfied?" He demanded hotly.

"Never." Jake snickered, his eyes flashing in such a way that Taylor felt himself blush. "But it'll do for now." The pilot chuckled, averting his gaze as Taylor slipped over to the rear of the helicopter.

"Are you seriously leaving without saying goodbye?" Zahra's voice demanded over the emergency speakers, as Taylor grinned and leaned out the door to peer at a camera.

"You hate goodbyes, Snape." He laughed, offering a cheeky two finger salute to the camera, and receiving a snort of laughter in response over the speakers. "Besides, I'll be back before ya know it... roomie." He snickered, as Zahra groaned, imagining her rolling her eyes at him from her screens.

"You damn well better be, if I have to actually leave this place to come kick ass; I'm starting with yours." She warned, as Taylor burst out laughing.

"Is that  _affection_  I hear, Snape?" He asked, snickering as he thought of her embarrassment, knowing she would be blushing from the show of emotion. "Don't worry... I'll being you back some Rourke tech from the palace!"

"... I want the Core i-nine seven-nine-eight-oh XE from his personal computer." She said after a pause, and Taylor began to laugh harder at the thought of trying to find the individual part.

"I'll bring you the whole damn thing. I am not taking it apart only for you to say I got the wrong thing." He snickered, raising his hand in a half wave as he drew in a deep breath and looked towards Mike. "Alright, Hot Shot... Lets go end this." He said, glancing back at the camera and winking as Mike lifted the helicopter from the ground, before leaning back inside and allowing Craig to close the door. "So... Who wants to play I spy?" He asked as he leaned against the door, grinning as his friends all groaned around him.

Taylor shook his head, turning his gaze out the glass in the door as Mike lifted the helicopter out through the skylight, before turning them towards the distant Imperial Capital. He sighed, all sense of time abandoning him as he lost himself to thoughts and memories..  _Finally, its going to be over..._  He thought, sighing as he stared down at the fast moving ground beneath them, watching the island he'd long called home; across multiple lives, quickly disappear behind them.  _Maybe once its over I could travel a bit... See the real world I only thought I had before_. He wondered, his eyes turning distant as he recalled his many lives. His heart ached, and he turned to watch the island of La Huerta disappear, biting his lip as he was struck by a wave of longing.  _Or, I could just stay. But on my terms this time... And without the endless years to waste_.

He hummed low in his throat, turning his gaze back to the glass, watching the ocean pass by beneath them disinterestedly. "Penny for ya thoughts?" Jake asked, as Taylor sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I'm not getting rid of you this entire flight, am I?" Taylor said in resignation, though his lips twitched in amusement as he cast a sly glance toward the pilot.

"Nah," Jake snickered, winking as he leaned against the far side of the door. "Ya not gettin' rid of me, full stop."

"Ha, yeah I can see that." Taylor snorted, rolling his eyes as he cast his gaze down again. "You and Mike finally having your freedom, and you expect me to tag along?" He snorted, shaking his head in exasperation as Jake glanced away guiltily.

"Look," he hedged, clearing his throat awkwardly. "That weren't why I... It didn't, I mean, it weren't supp-"

"Jake, you don't owe me any explanations." Taylor said quietly, staring down at the thinking water, the helicopter moving back over solid ground as it raced toward the Imperial City. "It was another life." He sighed longingly, his heart aching for everything he'd once had with the other man, though he tried hard to keep the pain from his face. "And you weren't to know that I was anything but a... crazy dream. I don't blame you for finding someone else... I hope you'll be happy, once all the fighting and running is over with. Wherver you finally end up." He said thickly, hoping the pilot didn't hear the lie in his voice.

"Guys, we got a problem..." Mike called, interrupting whatever reply Jake had been about to give as everyone turned their attention to the ex soldier. "There's a crowd forming in the street, I think they're marching to defend the gates... If we're gonna blow 'em; that's gonna mean a lot of lives."

Taylor swallowed, moving towards the front of the helicopter to peer at the bodies slipping from their homes and moving towards the palace. "Shit..." He cursed, glancing around the back of the helicopter at the diversionary projectiles _. If we make a smoke wall thick enough they night turn back... But then they might just run straight through it and start firing on us_. He thought, biting his lip as he reluctantly considered the idea. His eyes lit on something else, and he smiled suddenly, gripping the pilots shoulder excitedly. "Get me closer, I have an idea." He said quickly, taking off his bag from his shoulder and handing it to Estela, as he pushed passed everyone and grabbed a large microphone, smirking as he looped a thin strap around his wrist.

"Uh, Taylor... What're you-" Sean asked, as Taylor turned his gaze upward, gripping a rappelling rope and crouching to tie a loop in the bottom around his foot.

"Huh?" He asked, glancing up as he moved towards the door. "I'm doing what I do best... Rabble Rousing." He said, before opening the helicopter door and quickly sitting on the floor.

"What the hell are ya thinking, ya crazy-" Jake cried, reaching for his shoulder and turning Taylor toward him, who merely frowned at him curiously.

"I'm gonna talk to them..." He said slowly, grabbing a pair of thick gloves and pulling them on carefully, giving his heart a chance to return to a steady oace, after the shock of the pilots hand on his shoulder. "Lower me down slowly?" He asked, finally glancing up at the pilot again.

Jake watched him intently, his eyes searching Taylors for a long moment, before he pushed to his feet with a curse, grabbing some gloves and putting them on, before taking up the rope and finally nodding to show he was ready. "You're goddamn insane."

"Wouldn't wanna be boring." Taylor quipped, rubbing his chest at the sting of his old memory resurfacing. He sucked in a deep breath as Mike flew them closer to the crowd, hovering as people began to look up at them. "Okay... I can do this. Don't fall. Don't die. I can do this." He muttered, testing his foots grip on the top as he twisted to hold the edge of the helicopter.

As Jake began to feed him nlre rope, he took a deep breath, and let go, quickly grabbing the rope as he spun and slowly lowered through the air.  _"Ahh!"_  He gasped, grimacing as the wind struck him, similarly to a brick in the high air. He shivered, glancing down and slowly raising his free hand, shifting awkwardly to grip the microphone tightly. "Hi down there!" He called, pressing the button to make his voice boom down to the faces below him. "My name is Taylor, and I lead The Selected..." He called, immediately flinching when a gunshot rang out. "Whoa, whoa,  _whoa!_  There is  _no_  need for that! I am just talking here! I mean seriously, what am I gonna do right now? I'm in the friggin' air, dude... or dudette... Whatever; look, my point is, I just wanna talk to you!"

Taylor took a deep breath, frowning as he tried to think of the words which might best express what he felt. "No doubt you all saw today, that your glowing Emperor, kidnapped and beat my best friend... Now, I don't know about you; but I have never been fond of bullies. Bullies pick on those smaller than them, those less fortunate; and sometimes, they use other people, to force those they're afraid of to comply..." He said slowly, the microphone echoeing his voice down to the uncertain figures below. "I know some of you hate me, as our anonymous shooter friend just proved..." He quipped, snickering lightly at his own humour.

"But... I also know that many more of you, have had someone stolen from you, because of the esteemed Emperor." He said, turning serious once more as he stared down through the crowds. "I'm sure he gave a good excuse... Treason, theft, desertion. But do you know his real reason?" He asked, pausing and trying to identify individual faces. "He was  _afraid._  He was afraid, that person might have been the person to stand up and say no! To say they'd had enough of living by his rules! That they wanted their children to decide their own futures!" He cried, pleased to note several heads beginning to bob in acknowledgment. "I say the same damn thing! I say no more!" He called, his heart rising into his throat as he held onto the rope and twisted to look behind himself. "I say, we start making our own rules again! I say we live  _without_  fear of the tyrant who crushes us all, beneath his over licked boots!" He yelled, noticing several indistinct bodies moving away from the gates and towards their helicopter.

"Today, I have come here with my friends; to say we are  _done_  hiding!" He called, frowning as he peered down at the crowd thoughtfully. "To tell that smug bastard who calls himself Emperor; you  _cannot_  take our friends without repercussions, and he cannot control our lives any longer!" He cried, his heart skipping a beat excitedly, as he noticed more bodies moving away from the gates. "Will you add your voice to mine, and tell Rourke; that his reign of cruelty is  _over?!"_  He cried, grinning up at the faces peering from the helicopter door, as the crowd below him erupted into a noticeable cheer.

"He did it, pay up." Estela snorted, holding out her hand as Craig sighed and reluctantly slapped a crinkled note into her hand.

"Wow, Craig. Your faith in me is so inspiring." Taylor called up flatly, his grin growing as his heart felt lighter than he recalled it feeling for sometime. "It inspires me to do something else too..." He said, grinning broadly as Jake scowled at him.

"Would it be to climb the bloody rope and get ya ass back in here?" The pilot groused, his eyes narrowing at Taylors playful wink.

Taylor smirked, raising the microphone to his mouth and turning back to the crowd below him. _"I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath, scared to rock the boat and make a mess... So I sit quietly, agree politely. I guess that I forgot I had a choice, I let you push me past the breaking point... I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything_..." He sang, laughing as he heard several sighs and groans from the helicopter above him.

"What the  _hell_  is he doing now?" Jake demanded, as Mike blatantly roared with laughter from the pilot seat.

"Last I checked its called 'singing', Grandpa." The other pilot snorted, looking down at Taylor in amusement, as Taylor grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

 _"You held me down, but I got up, already brushing off the dust! You hear my voice, you hear that sound, like thunder gonna shake the ground... You held me down, but I got up, get ready 'cause I've had enough! I see it all, I see it now.._." Taylor sang, gazing down at the curious crowd below him joyfully as his friends bickered above him.

"He does this when he gets excited," Estela sighed, her face noticeably disappearing from the doorway as Taylor peeked upward again briefly.

 _"I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire! 'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar! Louder, louder than a lion! 'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar_!" Taylor cried, grinning when he saw several arms rise in what he decided to take as encouragement. " _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!_ " He sang, looking up at Mike and tipping his head towards the gates. " _You're gonna hear me roar!"_  The pilot nodded back, before turning forward, slowly drawing then closer to their target.

 _"Now I'm floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee I earned my stripes. I went from zero, to my own hero_..." He sang, smiling as he heard Sean humming from above him.

"What, it's a catchy tune..." The former athlete defended, as Taylor peeked up to see Jake scowl over at him irritably.

 _"You held me down, but I got up, already brushing off the dust! You hear my voice, you hear that sound, like thunder gonna shake the ground... You held me down, but I got up, get ready 'cause I've had enough! I see it all, I see it now_..." Taylor cried, his smile causing his cheeks to ache as he sailed through the air slowly, chuckling at the sound of small voices from below singing back to him.

" _I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire! 'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar! Louder, louder than a lion! 'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar_!" He cried, his eyes locking on the approaching gates, and the guardhouse just before it.

 _"Ro-ar..."_  He looked up as Mike brought the helicopter to a hover just ahead of the guardhouse, the gates within perfect range of his missiles. The pilot glanced down at Taylor nodded, grinning eagerly in his excitement.  _"Ro-ar..."_  He eyed the guardhouse again as Mike prepped the missiles, readying them for deployment. He hummed thoughtfully, swinging the rope back and forth as he gazed intently at the guardhouse.  _"Ro-ar..."_

"Tell me he ain't doin' what I think he's doin'..." Jake groaned, his distress evident in his voice, though Taylor couldn't prevent the swell of his heart as he was overcome by his emotions.

"Yeah..." Estela sighed, sounding utterly resigned as she leaned out the helicopter door to watch Taylors movements. "He is."

 _ **"Ro-ar!**_ " He cried, swinging himself through the air and finally launching himself from the rope, tucking his legs up and rolling as his feet slapped the guardhouse roof. He bounced to his feet as the first missiles launched, moving to the edge of the rooftop as they collided with the palace gates. _"I got the eye of the tiger!_ " He yelled, throwing his arm in the air as he stared down at the crowd, totally oblivious of the explosion behind him. _"A fighter, dancing through the fire! 'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar_!" He roared, as smoke billowed from the destroyed gates. He heard Craig's loud laughter from above, but didn't let it deter him from his sudden inspiration to sing. " _Louder, louder than a lion! 'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar!"_

Taylor shuffled along the rooftop, grinning ecstatically as he sang down to the crowd, only to hear them cheer back in response. " _Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_!" He yelled, before turning and shuffling the other direction. _"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh_!" He cried, standing at the edge of the rooftop and raising his arm into the air as the crowd yelled back. " _You're gonna hear me roar!"_

Taylor panted for breath, his heart racing joyfully as he gazed down at the moved crowd below him. He blinked, as a dangling rope bumped against his head, his friends peering down at him with varying expressions of humour, exasperation and irritation. "What can I say?" He called, laughing as he fit his foot back in the loop he'd made, grabbing the rope as Mike laughed and flew them forward again slowly. "I am the music man!"

"You're a goddamn idiot, is what you are." Jake groused from within, as Taylor laughed and turned to watch the Palace approach them, his mood sobering as they flew ahead of the crowd and sailed into the courtyard.

"Hey, so, Taylor; what happened to the whole take 'em by surprise thing?" Craig asked, snickering as Taylor shrugged unashamedly and swung lazily through the air beneath them.

"Sometimes a guys just gotta give voice to his soul, ya know?" He called, laughing as Mike lowered them slowly to the ground, allowing Taylor to hop down and move aside ahead of the others.

"I know better ways," Jake snorted, raising a brow at him as he hopped from the helicopter, before turning to grab his weapons and load himself up on ammo. "Better causes, too." He added, as Taylor rolled his eyes and reached over the pilots shoulder to snag a pistol, reaching for his bag as Estela scowled and tossed it to him.

"You're an idiot, Taylor." She growled, shoving past him with various weapon harnesses strapped to her, all filled with an assortment of guns for her easy access. "I'd say more, but really... I think that actually covers it."

"I am  _so_  unappreciated." Taylor sighed, shaking his head dramatically as he peered back the way they'd come, narrowing his eyes at the distant crowd he could see. "I think they're gonna come help, ya know..." He hummed, slipping his pistol into the back of his trousers waistband.

"Great, buncha civilians to not shoot." Jake snarked, scowling as he moved to the pilot door. Taylor looked away, swallowing heavily as Jake and Mike bumped fists through the pilots window, trading wishes of luck and safety. He drew in a deep breath, turning his face to the sky briefly as he tried to push aside his lingering affections for the pilot.

 _I'm gonna have to get over when all this is over... When he and Mike leave_. He thought, snorting and raising his hand to his heart, as it lurched painfully in his chest.  _I guess... At least it should be easier then, right? Once he isn't in my face all the time_... He thought, determinedly refusing to think of the three years he'd spent longing for the pilot in the first place. He hummed, turning towards the main entrance of the palace, as guards threw the doors open and began to flow towards them in a steady stream. "Hey, Craig..." He called, turning to the former jock with a fond grin. "Wanna make these guys understand why its a bad idea to mess with you and your canon there?" He asked, tipping his head towards the soldiers just beginning to crouch and take aim.

Craig grinned, strutting forward proudly as he cranked up the power and aimed for the centre of the crouching group. "Yippee Ki Yay..." he said, firing the canon and sending several bodies flying from the blast impact. "Man, I love canons, brah." Craig sighed contently, as he observed the obvious panic of the guards, having been unprepared for having to deal with a laser canon.

"Never woulda guessed, Big Guy..." Taylor huffed fondly, clapping him on the shoulder briefly before slipping past him, glancing back at Mike momentarily. "Once the back window's are blown, the Vaanti will pour in; and you can guarantee Rourke's defence's are gonna return at twice the speed they probably already are. Don't hesitate; get yourself to safety and wait for Zahra's call..." He said, as Mike watched him curiously.

"Copy." He said at last, winking as a small grin lit his lips. "Take care of yaself, Kid. Don't have too much fun breakin' stuff in there..."

"Ha, copy." Taylor said, grinning awkwardly at the pilot. "If I see Lundgren, I'll save you a piece." He offered, clearing his throat as he noticed Jake watching him intently.

"I'd need more than a piece..." Mike warned, his expression darkening as he pulled the helicopter into the air again, swinging around the back of the enormous palace and locking his machine guns onto back of the building. "Just let Grandpa handle him!" He called, as the massive guns began to spin loudly.

Taylor covered his ears, hunching over as the rapidly firing weapons burst into life, creating a deafening roar of sound; a hail of bullets slamming into glass and stone at the back of the palace, as Mike moved quickly along the building. Moments later the sound ceased, and Taylor released his ears to see Mike fly high over the top of the building, throwing him a cocky salute as he left to find cover until he was called for. He raised the megaphone to his lips to signal to the Vaanti that they were free to surge forward and enter through the broken windows around the back. " **Lakshi Naa**!" He roared in the Vaanti tongue, before dropping the megaphone and charging towards the main entrance.

"Taylor, we got incoming..." Estela warned, gesturing to the guards which were filling the doorway, as she raced along just behind his left shoulder.

"Sean!" Taylor yelled, barely breaking his stride as the former athlete grabbed two smoke bombs and tossed them to the path just before the guards, creating a thick screen between them. He glanced to his right, where Jake was running a short distance away, raising his brow when he noticed taylooking his way. "Oh  _please,_  don't pretend you don't wanna chance to show off your skills." He snorted, facing forward again with a small grin, as he heard Jake huff in breathless amusement.

"Heh, I got so many comebacks for that, I actually dunno what to pick..." Jake huffed, drawing his pistol and firing three shots into the smoke screen, quickly followed by the sound of crumpling bodies. "But suffice to say, I'm always ready to show off whatever the hell ya want me t-"

"Craig!" Taylor yelled, cutting the pilot off quickly as his heart began to thunder for a reason other than his hurried sprint. "Clear the path!" He called, as Craig began to chuckle.

The former jock charged up his canon, laughing gleefully when the machine beeped its completion. "Fire in the hole!" He cried, as Jake grabbed Taylors hand and yanked him out of the large mans path. The laser blasted forward, smoke billowing as bodies flew from into the air and crashed back to the ground painfully.

"Remind me never to piss Craig off when he has his canon handy..." Taylor snickered, before pausing suddenly, realizing the pilot still hand hold of his hand. "Uh... t-thanks..." He muttered, awkwardly freeing his hand as he felt his cheeks flare with a hot blush. He rubbed his palm over the back of his shirt, trying to ignore the prickling warmth which was spreading through his hand from the pilots touch. He raised his eyes to see a knowing look in the pilots clear eyes, his own hand twitching as if fighting hard not to reach for him again.

Taylor cleared his throat and quickly turned away, his breath catching as he began to run towards the main entrance to the palace once more.  _Do not let yourself get distracted now, Taylor... This story may end with many a romance, but it sure isn't yours; now focus on Diego!_  He scolded himself, shaking his head as he narrowed his eyes in determination, jumping through the slowly clearing smoke screen and racing into the large building Rourke had claimed for his own. They poured through the entrance hall and down into the antechamber, where Taylor finally paused a moment to consider and allow everyone to catch their breath.

"Sean, lead the owls to the upper levels; throw whatever you can to cause as much chaos as you can!" Taylor said, moving aside to leat the former athlete lead a small group of fighters with him to the a staircase which led to the upper levels. "Jake, lead the wolves; find cover and pick off anyone getting sneaky or creeping up on us."

"Copy." Jake hummed, his expression thoughtful as he ran his eyes over Taylor. "Ya a natural at this... But still an idiot. So, keep yaself outta trouble, else I'll be breakin' cover to kick your ass as well as theirs." He warned, as Taylor huffed in amused exasperation.

"Do you  _ever_  just do as you're told..?" He asked, biting his tongue to keep himself from adding his familiar pet name for the pilot.

Jake grinned at him crookedly, throwing him a cocky wink as he leaned closer to his shoulder. "Depends what ya askin' for..." He drawled quietly, before drawing back with a smirk, eyeing Taylors flustered expression proudly. "And of course... where ya want it-"

"Okay, ahem, thankyou for that." Taylor said quickly, trying to pretend his heart wasn't attempting to leap from his chest at the pilots deliberate teasing. He frowned, shaking his head as he stepped away from the amused pilot. "Go... annoy someone else. Shoot Rourke's men. Just... stop distracting me." He said quietly, his cheeks burning as he avoided the pilots gaze.

"Heh, not sure I could do that, even if I did wanna try." Jake snorted, signalling for his men to follow him, as he jogged down the hall to enter the main throne room through a side passage.

Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair as he felt a familiar lurch of fear at the potential threat to the pilots safety, despite his best attempts to deny it. "No..." He sighed, as Jake glanced back from the end of the corridor, their eyes meeting as he nodded quickly, before disappearing around the corner. "I don't suppose you could..." He shook his head, dismissing all the memories of times when they'd gone into similar fights together.  _Ride or die.._. He thought sadly, before finally turning back to Estela and Craig and the troops who had stayed with them.

"Ready for your moment of glory?" Estela asked, cocking a small pistol, before returning it to her shoulder harness. Taylor grimaced, choosing to ignore the question, as he looked around his remaining friends.

"Look out for each other... Don't take unnecessary risks, if you don't have to." He said, backing towards the throne room doors. "If it comes down to saving a life, or ending one... Save it. Because, there's always another tomorrow that you can fight." He said, taking a deep breath as he turned and placed his hands on the doors.  _This is it... The final stand, before we can begin the rest of our lives; the way **we**  want_. He thought, exhaling sharply as he pushed against the doors, throwing them wide to reveal a long, highly arched room with several marble pillars; where at the furthest point, a throne sat above three steps.

Taylor frowned around the room cautiously, its lack of guards causing his gut to clench in agitation. He moved into the room, glancing to the side door to see Jake and his troops waiting cautiously in the shadows. He narrowed his eyes to the front of the long throne room, as the sound of laughter rang out from ahead of them.

"Ah, Taylor! You really are  _full_  of surprises!" Rourke called delightedly, the man splayed elegantly across his throne, with Diego bound tightly, held hostage by a guard behind the Emperor's throne. "I should have known better than to think you'd make such a slip as to reveal your location after all this time but... I admit, I was blinded. The Celestial, though Taylor, really?"

"Had to be something you'd believe..." Taylor said loudly, glancing to Estela, as the dark haired girl began to edge closer to him with her squad. "And you're self centered enough that I knew the thought of me using your own hotel this whole time..."

"Would quite rightly incense me.  _Bravo_  indeed, Taylor..." Rourke chuckled, clapping as he flowed to his feet and glided down the steps, to stand imposingly before the raised throne. "Quite ingenious. I'm almost impressed."

"I sincerely doubt it." Taylor snorted flatly, shaking his head and narrowing his eyes at the older man hatefully. "You would never impressed by anyone but yourself, you wouldn't know how to be." He scoffed as Rourke chuckled appreciatively at his waspish remark, and spread his palms to indicate the vacant room around them.

"Well, I admit, after my message for you last night; I did wonder if it might finally make you desperate enough to make a mistake..." Rourke called smugly, as Taylor took a hesitant step back, imagining he could see the malicious grin curving the older man's lips. "So, when I heard your base had been spotted,  _naturally;_  I took some precautions..." The smug man began to laugh, as panels began to slide away from the wall and floor; allowing soldiers to fill the void between the Emperor and Taylors own troops.

"Uh, Estela..?" Taylor balked, as his eyes widened at the ocean of bodies forming between them and the man he hated above all others. "I'm not sure you brought enough guns..."

"Hff, you can never gave enough guns against a snake like Rourke..." Estela growled, gripping the pistols in her shoulder holster and drawing them expectantly, her eyes sharp as she waited for signs of attack. Taylor reached over and snagged a pistol from her hip, reluctantly readying the weapon as she flashed him a brief smirk. "But lucky for you, I always over pack." She said, as Craig jogged over, a large bag slung over the shoulder opposite his canon; which he dumped unceremoniously to the ground.

"Haha, come at me brah!" The former jock leered, brandishing what Taylor thought looked suspiciously like a prototype grenade launcher that Zahra had been working on.

"Oh, I'm not gonna like this am I?" He groaned, covering his ears as Craig fired the weapon, sending a small round object soaring through the air towards the nearest cluster of Rourke's guards.

"What on earth-" Rourke's curious remark was cut short by a condensed explosion, soldiers sailing into others beside them in a four by four section. The Emperors eyes widened, as he ducked back towards his throne, his expression locked into a shocked scowl as he waved the soldiers forward. "Don't just stand there! Kill them! Starting with the brute!"

"Aw, hell..." Taylor complained, ducking and rolling forward to take cover behind a pillar as the guards opened fire, before firing back at their feet and arms in the hopes of disabling them.

"Taylor, if you're not gonna do it properly then get out and let us do it!" Estela growled, firing quickly the safety of her own cover, behind another marble pillar. "This is not the time to be playing the humanitarian card!  _These people will kill you_!" She barked, firing rapidly before drawing back to reload and flash Taylor an irritated scowl.

"Hey, I'm not about to change my style now Estela!" Taylor chuckled, peeking around the column of marble to see three soldiers fall in rapid succession. He glanced over at Jake and his squad, the pilot dual firing pistols with his clear eyes locking intently on each target, before quickly eliminating them and moving on again.

Despite the frantic gunfire around him, Taylor felt himself slip into his memories; recalling the heavy rain against his skin as Jake had calmly cocked a flare gun towards the explosives Sean had lodged amid Cetus's teeth. Taylor drew in a deep gasp as he was forced from his recollection, by a bullet chipping away the marble pillar close to his face. He flinched, peeking around the opposite side and firing three rounds towards the thick haze of bodies, smoke and explosions before him.

 _"Raaaagh!_  Craig bellowed, launching another miniature grenade into the soldiers, sending them both running and soaring away from the area. Taylor huffed in amusement, picking himself up against the pillar as his heart thundered in his chest, keeping pace with the gunshots around them.

 _These guys just wasting our time_... He thought, peeking around the pillar and firing twice at a soldier, before drawing back to reload his pistol.  _They're buying time for the Imperial Army to return._.. He bit his cheek, looking around the pillar cautiously to see Rourke pacing by his throne. Taylor drew back behind his cover, panting for breath as he glanced over at Estela, who was switching between guns as someone reloaded her weapons for her. He looked toward Craig, to find the former jock locked into a disarming fistfight with a cluster of soldiers. Finally, Taylor glanced towards Jake, the pilot still leading the other wolves with calculated shots. As if sensing his gaze, the pilot glanced at him, his eyes narrowing briefly; before returning to the chaos ahead of them.  _To defeat a snake, you must first cut off its head.._. He thought, glancing towards the throne again.

Taylor took several deep breaths, trying not to let the imagined furious threats and warnings of his friends deter him, as he gathered his nerve. With a final sharp exhale, Taylor ducked around the pillar, firing twice at a soldier, as he jumped forward and landed with a roll, darting between two other soldiers and swiftly kicking their feet out from beneath them. He quickly struck them both with the butt of his pistol, before aiming it at a guard who was moving towards him. Before he could fire however, the guard fell, and Taylor glanced back to see Estela approaching; following his lead to move further up the chamber.

"You're a goddamn idiot!" She yelled, scowling as she continued firing into the fray, and encouraged her team to move along behind her.

"Who's the bigger idiot?" He called, ducking under a soldiers arm and aiming his gun at another who was trying to circle behind him, and fired the redirected weapon twice. "The idiot, or the idiot who follows them?" He huffed, as the soldier he'd wounded fell to the ground with a groan. He quickly twisted his grip, shoving the other soldier towards Estela and allowing her to shoot them without blinking.

"Whichever one is  _you!"_  Estela growled, moving behind another pillar to reload her own weapons, as Taylor chuckled and darted forward again. He fired his own weapon a further three times, his third shot going wide and leaving a soldier blocking his path toward the throne.

"Don't suppose you wanna surrender?" He asked lamely, panting for breath as his eyes darted to a fallen soldier, their large rifle laying across their chest. As the soldier shook their head and raised their weapon, Taylor held his breath, about to spring forward for the weapon; when the soldier fell before him suddenly. He blinked, looking to the side to see Jake's hand slide away to aim elsewhere, though his clear eyes remained locked onto Taylor for another long moment. He huffed, saluting roughly as the pilot nodded back at him, though his scowl revealed his irritation.

I guess I'm getting my ass kicked by everyone later then... He thought, chuckling as he caught his breath, before pushing forward again. He was relieved when a large smoke screen erupted ahead of him; until he realised the soldiers beyond had merely decided to shoot wildly through the obscuring curtain.  _"Aaah!"_  He yelped, grabbing his arm as it was grazed by a burning hot bullet, dropping himself to the floor for a moment. "Oh, ow... Very ow, ow, ow... Godammit, I  _hate_  being shot!" He complained, frowning as he tried to look at the wound. "Ah, man... Michelle's gonna kill me."

With a growl, Taylor rolled into his front, reaching for a fallen soldier and freeing their semi automatic rifle from their grasp. "Do you understand the goddamn trouble I am gonna be in because of you assholes, now?!" He cried, readying his finger on the trigger as he raced forward, charging through the smoke and quickly beginning to fire at the nearest cluster of soldiers legs.  _"Raaaugh!"_  He growled, snorting when they fell into a complaining heap, clutching at their wounded legs. "Hey, be grateful, the others woulda just killed you. This way you get to feel some pain yes, but I feel its a fair trade for the shit I'm gonna get when I get home now..." Taylor said, rolling his eyes as he strolled over and drove the butt of the rifle into each guards face; having to strike one of them twice when they proved to be particularly stubborn about falling unconscious.

"Asshole..." Taylor snorted, dropping the rifle atop the pile of soldiers and glancing up towards the much closer throne. He looked around the soldiers raging through the throne room, as The Selected pushed them back, despite their lacking numbers. Taylor could see fallen bodies from both sides, and he sent silent prayers to everyone he'd led to their deaths, as his heart clenched in guilt.

Refusing to let himself wallow, Taylor moved fluidly towards a group of soldiers, grabbing one by the wrist fro behind and using their pistol to shoot three others quickly; before shoving the soldier forward and sweeping their legs out, slamming the butt of his own pistol into their face as they sprawled onto the floor. _Just a little more..._  He thought, groaning as he pushed himself back to his feet, as fatigue began to set in. He wiped his arm over his brow, brushing aside his sweat and grime slicked hair as he looked up at the throne from the far corner of the steps.

His heart skipped a beat, as he saw Diego struggling against his captor, and he jogged around the front of the throne as he raised his pistol, aiming it towards the soldier guarding Diego. "Hey!" He called, scowling as they both looked towards him in surprise. "That's my best friend you're manhandling." He said, firing his final shot at the guard.

The soldiers head snapped backward, as Taylor dropped the pistol. Well, sometimes you really do have to go for the kill shot. He thought reluctantly, catching his breath before he looked at Diego with a guiltily grin, winking at him conspiratorially. "I owe you an ass kicking... assbutt." He said, as Diego burst into a fit of nervous giggles through his gag, his eyes filling with joyful gratitude as Taylor approached.

Movement caught his eye, and for a moment the world slowed around him. Taylors eyes widened as Rourke darted out from behind his throne, grabbing Diego by the hair and using him as a shield, while pressing a pistol into his side. "No!" Taylor cried, reaching back to pull the pistol from his waistband as he lunged forward, raising the weapon to aim it at Rourke's face; only for time to spin to a sharp point suddenly, as the smug man slid Diego between them.

"Now, now, Taylor..." Rourke chuckled, his eyes glittering maliciously over Diego's shoulder. "I think we both know you're not about to shoot your best friend... So why don't you lower that gun, and call for your little band of merry men to stand down?" He hummed, as if he were making a truly generous offer. "As you are well aware, after all; I have no issues with ending lives, and your friend is no exception."

"Kill him and you have nothing else to hide behind." Taylor spat, scowling at Rourke hatefully. "If you hurt him, so help me I will empty this whole goddamn clip into your smug-"

"Ah, ah, Taylor..." Rourke warned cheerfully, pulling Diego's head back as he pressed the gun deeper into his side, causing Diego to whimper through his gag. "That kind of language is  _most_  uncalled for. Now, lower your weapon... And perhaps I can still let your friend here go."

"I lower this gun, and the first thing you'll do is kill him." Taylor said, glancing at Diego's wide eyed face nervously as he bit his lip, his grip on his pistol tightening. "You're a snake. Honour means nothing to you."

"I kept my promise, Taylor." Rourke said, his expression morphing to a snarl briefly, before smoothing into his confident smirk once again. "I brought you all together, you had parents, a life... And you thanked me, by starting this little, revolution of yours."

"You're a  _tyrant!"_  Taylor cried, his eyes darting to the far door of the throne room, where Varyyn and the other Vaanti were creeping into the chamber. "You take pleasure from crushing the world beneath your feet! You took away Quinn's future! You took away J-" Taylor bit his tongue, but too late, as Rourke's smirk grew smug.

"Ah, so it was because your paramour replaced you?" Rourke chuckled, shaking his head in condescension. "This is exactly why love, mercy, pity; is for the weak." He said, sneering at Taylor as he pulled Diego closer. "Now for the last time, Taylor, lower that-"

Diego yelped as Rourke dug his pistol into his ribs, and Taylors heart lurched fearfully, his eyes widening as he quickly held up his hands. "Alright, alright, you win! Just...  _Don't_  hurt him. Please..."

"Excellent choice, Taylor." Rourke said smugly, moving Diego toward the throne slightly as Taylor turned, his palms raised to Rourke as the Emperor glanced out into the fighting. "Guards, halt! The Selected's fearless leader, has surrendered." He called, as Taylor narrowed his eyes distrustfully, his heart racing as Rourke looked out into the quieting crowd before them.

"He's  _what?!"_  Estela cried, raising her weapon towards the nearest cluster of guards suspiciously, as she looked up to Taylor for confirmation.

"... I-" he choked, his eyes falling to Diego's wide eyed expression, his best friends fear palpable around him. "I...  _do._  I surrender. In exchange for my friends lives..." He bit out, glancing around the chamber as his friends began to show themselves, frowning at him in disbelief.

"Taylor-" Sean said, shaking his head as he cautiously approached the wall of guards, blocking any of Taylors other friends from reaching the throne.

"I won't stand here and watch any of you die!" Taylor cried, his heart swelling as his eyes unconsciously found Jake's clear, but furious gaze. "I... I can't. I  _can't..."_  He muttered, breaking his eyes away to look at the floor guiltily.

"Such loyalty... A most admirable quality in friendship, if somewhat foolish in this particular situation." Rourke commented lightly, as Taylor raised his eyes to the older mans with a hateful glare. "I mean, after all; it's not your  _friends_  I'm aiming for..." The man chuckled in obvious amusement.

Taylor frowned, his fingers twitching around the pistol in his raised palms, as a single gunshot echoed through the chamber. The entire hall seemed to dull around him, Diego's frantic scream through his gag only confusing him further, as a brief burst of heart burn flooded him. He opened his mouth to question what was happening, only for a cough to startle him instead.  _"Kff..."_  His brow creased further, as he looked down to his chest, a hand lowering to the slowly spreading red stain on his shirt in confusion.  _Oh... sneaky..._  He thought distantly, as a roaring sounded vaguely in his ears. "Not... now..." He rasped, his gaze slowly lowering to the floor as his knees buckled beneath his weight, his palms barely steadying his fall.

Taylor gasped, blinking slowly as he saw Rourke step past him, moving between him and his friends. He turned his head, to see them all fighting the remaining guards furiously, but ultimately being held back by the returned threat to Diego's life.  _"Kff..."_  He coughed, his eyes returning to the ground before him as he tried to catch his breath, his chest aching distantly, as his legs and arms quivered beneath the strain of bearing his weight.  _"Kff..."_

 _So close_... He thought, coughing harder, as flecks of blood began to erupt from his lips, noticing the metallic tang of blood on his tongue.  _So close... only to fail them all again... always, always... failing them_. He thought brokenly, curling his fingers against the ground in despair. He blinked vacantly, noticing the pistol still beneath his palm. He slowly raised his eyes to Rourke's back, trailing his eyes to the Vaanti just beyond him, unable to strike with Diego in the way.  _One... last push_... He thought, gritting his teeth as he curled his fingers weakly around his pistol, forcing his body to obey him and stumbling unsteadily to his feet.

"... and now that the traitor is finally dead, things can finally get back to nor-." Rourke gloated, unaware of Taylor taking a stumbled step toward him.

"Rourke...  _Shut. Up_." Taylor growled weakly, throwing his every remaining ounce of energy into knocking the self proclaimed Emperor away from Diego. Immediately, Varyyn surged forward and collected him into his arms, working at the bindings securing him as Rourke roared furiously.  _"Kff..!"_

Taylor coughed, struggling weakly as Rourke straddled his stomach, his hands curling around Taylors throat as he leaned close to his face with a malevolent grin. "Taylor, Taylor... Ever full of surprises, hmm?" The smug man huffed, his hands tightening around Taylors throat, as Taylor weakly tried to push them away. "Well, I must admit; after all the trouble you've caused me, I'm going to enjoy watching the life drain from you..."

"... Good luck with that..." Taylor choked, a weak grin curling his lips as he gazed up at Rourke with his vision clouded by black spots. "Seeing as... I'm the one, with the gun..." He huffed, as Rourke's eyes widened in surprise.

Taylor squeezed the trigger of his pistol with a final burst of energy, rapidly emptying his clip in to Rourke's stomach. The older man stared at him in disbelief, his eyes slowly glazing as he tipped forward, his weight crushing Taylor, as he coughed and finally allowed his eyes to slip closed _. I... did it... Quinn_... He thought vaguely, humming in protest when he felt hands begin to jostle him.

"Taylor!" His name seemed to erupt from everywhere at once, the various voices bleeding together into a single loud cry in his ears.

He whined as a pair of arms hauled him into a lap, his eyes finally peeling open to gaze up into a blurry face. "No, no, no, no; Boy Scout! Don't close ya eyes, just hold on, okay?" Jake demanded roughly, his hand pressing to the heavily bleeding wound. "Just a little longer, right? Zahra called Mike already, he's gonna come get ya, and we're gonna take ya back to Michelle, and she's gonna fix-"

"She can't..." Taylor said quietly, blinking up at Jake slowly, as the pilot panted and gazed around the throne room in desperate search of something that might help. "Nobody can..."

"Shut up." Jake demanded, scowling as he awkwardly stripped off his jacket and balled it to Taylors chest, his eyes rising to Taylors determinedly. "You're talkin' shit, so just shut the help up.  _Godammit, what the hell is takin' so long?!"_

"Jake... its okay." Taylor hummed, feeling his lips curve into a soft smile as his vision cleared briefly, allowing him to see the pilots clear gaze locked onto his own, his eyes welling with tears as he frantically tried to stop the bleeding. "Normally, I hate being shot... But, it doesn't hurt anymore..." He whispered, his hand fumbling as he tried to grip Jake's hand. " _Kff! Kff_!" He choked, grimacing as he felt blood splatter his lips. "Okay... that kinda sucks though..."

"Taylor, please shut up and just-" Jake pleaded, gripping his hand tightly as Taylors smile returned, his gaze affectionate as he looked up at Jake.

"Hmm... It's been a lifetime since I heard you... say that." He huffed, his eyes trailing over the pilots sandy hair, damp from the sweat of the fight.

"I told ya to shut up plenty of times..." Jake groused, shaking his head as he sniffed, checking Taylors wound and perking slightly when it appeared his wounds bleeding was beginning to slow. "Ya hold on and let us get ya patched up, an' I'll tell ya plenty mor-"

"No..." Taylor chuckled dryly, the sound turning to a cough as he felt his heart flutter weakly in his chest. "My name..." He said quietly, grinning lightly at the pilots shocked expression. "I always liked when... you said my name."

"... Just, hold on." Jake said, swallowing thickly as his expression twisted with grief. "Please Taylor... I just found ya again, don't go where I can't follow now..."

"Stupid Top Gun..." Taylor huffed fondly, his heart flickering with affection as it began to slow in his chest. "I found you... Saved you. That's enough..." He hummed, his eyes slipping closed briefly.

"No, no, no!" Jake demanded, shaking his shoulder gently as he drew in a ragged breath, pulling Taylor into a tighter embrace. "C'mon, Boy Scout... Open them eyes up, you ain't goin' anywhere til I damn well say so!"

 _"Kff..."_  Taylor coughed, forcing his eyes open with a sigh as he heard footsteps approach. He turned his eyes up to see Diego's crying face above him, and he smiled softly, watching as his friends crowded around him. "Hey, what's... with all the faces?" He huffed, drawing in a rattling breath, as he looked back up at Jake.

"Taylor... Taylor, please; I'm so sor-" Diego began, spluttering as he dropped to his knees, shaking his head in disbelief. "Taylor you  _can't_  die... We  _need_  you!"

"Ha, nah..." Taylor said, trying to shake his head, though the action fell short. "You got each other... I did what I set out to... I fixed, what I broke..." He said slowly, vaguely aware of his feet turning cold and utterly unresponsive to his commands.

"Taylor, none of this was you're fault..." Estela said, leaning into Craig's side as the muscular man looked down at Taylor in sad disbelief.

"Hmm... That's you're opinion." Taylor huffed, offering a weak smile as he chuckled lamely. "But you're also... an idiot." He said, causing Estela to choke and bury her face into Craig's shoulder.

"Boy Scout, shut up... okay?" Jake said, brushing the blood away from Taylors lips gently. "Just concentrate on fightin' and you'll be fixed up in no time. I seem to remember you saying you were gonna kick all our asses, after all..." He pleaded, his fingers curling into Taylors shoulder tightly.

"Think I'm gonna... have to pass this time..." Taylor huffed, his eyes stinging as he felt a deep rush of desire for the pilot. "I... shouldn't have run away." He said, swallowing briefly, only to cough heavily in response. He drew in a shuddering breath, attempting to raise his hand to Jake's cheek, but the motion was jerky and uncontrolled; his strength fading quicker the longer he resisted his fate. "I should've...  _stayed..."_  He choked, as Jake's expression twisted with remorse, understanding his reference to their moment by The Celestial, the pilot catching his hand and pressing it to his cheek.

"I was wrong, Boy Scout... I never shoulda made ya do any of this." He said thickly, shaking his head as his fingers dragged over Taylors cheek. "I shoulda found ya as soon as I could... I was the one ran away." The pilot choked, his tears falling rapidly as he gazed down at Taylor longingly.

"Heh," Taylor hummed, his own tears streaking into his hairline behind his ears, as he felt his heart falter in his chest. "In this world... in any world...  _You're_  all I ever wanted... Jake..." Taylor murmured,

Jake grimaced, swallowing heavily before lowering himself to kiss Taylor briefly, his lip trembling as he pressed his foregead to Taylors and hovered over him. "Please, Taylor... Hold on. We can stop runnin', together..."

"You can already stop..." Taylor croaked, revelling in the closeness the pilot offered him. "You and Mike... can have something  _real_  now... That's more than I... could ever offer. Be happy. Be free." He whispered, his lips grazing Jake's again before he was overcome by a fit of coughing.

"Taylor, no! C'mon, Taylor, fight it!" Jake pleaded, pressing his jacket to Taylors wound harder. "Please, Taylor... I love you, please-!"

"Taylor-!" Diego cried, reaching for him urgently, when he seemed to freeze suddenly. Taylors heart lurched at the pilots confession, and he frowned certain he was past such intense feelings; knowing his breaths were numbered. He glanced around his friends to see them all frozen in various stages of concern, and his frown deepened as footsteps slowly approached.

"I apologise for interfering in something so personal, Taylor... But you're time was fast approaching; and that means  _our_  time to speak grows short." A voice drifted to him, and Taylor twisted weakly to see a Vaanti with lank pink hair kneel beside him.

"Clockmaker..." He murmured, a tiny smile gracing his lips as he recognised her, despite the lack of her strange antique goggles. "Glad you're okay..." He said, chuckling weakly as he gestured to his chest. "Sorry, I'm a bit out of it. I got shot." He huffed, snickering quietly.

"Taylor... You said you wished to fix this world." The Clockmaker pressed, ignoring Taylors attempts at humour as she continued urgently. "What if you could truly, fix it? All the pain, all the death and destruction..."

Taylor shook his head, blinking slowly as he turned to look up at Jake's terrified expression again. "I think my part in this story is over..." He said slowly, frowning in sudden realisation, and turning back to the Vaanti curiously. "Hey, how come you can still timewarp?"

"We Anachronists were born of time, we will always be at one with it and it will always be a part of us..." The Clockmaker replied, her hand disappearing into a small leather pouch at her waist. "As, will Vaanu." She said, drawing out a green crystal and presenting it to Taylor.

"Is that..?" He asked, frowning as his vision blurred briefly, his life barely preserved by the Anachronists hold on time. "How can-"

"It is not the Heart as you know it..." The Clockmaker explained, shaking her head as she lightly rolled the crustal between her palms, almost appearing nervous. "It is the remains of Vaanu, from your world; brought here unknowingly by Rourke, and molded into its current form but we Anachronists over the past three years."

"Uh, not to sound dumb or anything, but why?" Taylor asked tiredly, sighing as she looked up at him and cocked her head uncertainly. "Look, I'm kinda on the middle of dying here; don't expect me to be the boy genius."

"Taylor, you are a part of Vaanu..." The Clockmaker explained, as Taylor rolled his eyes in tired exasperation.

"In that world maybe, but here I got to be a real boy. I had parents and everything..." He said, his eyes growing heavier as he sighed and turned his face back to his friends frozen expressions of fear.

"Taylor no matter what world you're in, or the changes made to your history; a part of Vaanu's power remains within you." The Clockmaker explained, seeming to sense his wavering attention. "If we can combine it with this crystal, there is a chance we may yet be able to prevent all of this timeline from ever occuring."

"... What?" Taylor hummed, frowning as he looked at The Clockmaker curiously. "But, we just got done freeing it from Rourke; the world is safe now... Everyone is gonna go off and lead happy lives-"

"What about your friend, Quinn?" The Clockmaker asked quietly, silencing Taylor as she leaned closer and gently reached for his hand. "I know the guilt you feel, for her fate... If you do this, you will return to the night of your decision-"

 _"Urghhh..."_  Taylor groaned, as understanding trickled into his slowed mind, his heart lurching again in their frozen bubble of time. "You want me to go back, to leave with Vaanu." He said tiredly, weakly shaking his head as The Clockmakers hand curled tighter around his own in her desperation.

"Taylor, you've considered it yourself over the years... Have you not?" She implored, her eyes wide as she pleaded with him. "You could prevent this world from ever existing; give your friends the futures they deserve..."

"... But..." Taylor hedged, looking up at Jake sadly. "He'll lose everything. I can't take Mike away from him too, not now-"

"Taylor look at him, really look." The Clockmaker demanded, looking at Jake's tormented expression herself. "That man is broken here. If you leave him here, he will come to resent Mike, and himself. Your friend Quinn will die, and Diego will blame himself for your death..." She explained gently, squeezing Taylors hand as he looked around their faces uncertainly.

"How do you know this..?" He asked, before scoffing and rolling his eyes weakly. "Right, time masters... Forget I asked that." He said, sighing as he eyed the crystal dubiously. "Why do I get the feeling, that if I say yes, this is gonna hurt like hell?"

"There... may be some minor discomfort when completing The Heart, but I am certain it would only be brief." She said dismissively, waving a hand before his eyes briefly, before holding out the crystal again. "Taylor... I believe you are wise beyond your years, I believe you know in your heart that this path is for the best..."

"Doesn't mean I have to damn well  _like_  it..." Taylor muttered weakly, groaning as he tried to shift and found himself unable to. He settled for laying in Jake's hold lightly, gazing up at the pilots clear eyes, suffused with panic. "I guess it doesn't matter what world we're in... We're just not meant to be after all." He sighed longingly, wishing he could control his body enough to lean up and kiss the pilot again. "Okay... You win." He said quietly, staring at Jake as if trying to burn the pilots face into his memory. "What do you-  _Aaaah!"_

Taylor cried out at a flare of pain, desperately wishing he could flinch away from the Vaanti, as she leaned forward and moved Jake's jacket aside, as she pressed the small crystal into his bullet wound. "I am sorry, Taylor, but this is the most efficient way at this time." She said, almost remorsefully, before she pressed the small crystal along the bullets path, lodging the crystal deep within his body.

 _"Aaaah!"_  Taylor cried, arching weakly, though the action only succeeded in pushing the crystal deeper within himself.  _"Nnnngg!"_  He choked, his fingers weakly clawing at Jake's wrist, as the Vaanti pressed the crystal deeper still, before finally removing her finger from the wound.

The Clockmaker laid her hand over the now throbbing wound, as Taylor hissed and squirmed weakly. "This crystal will force you back to that moment, will fight Rourke's changes to history and return Vaanu to its former glory. The crystal will change you, and your body. You will return to being a piece of Vaanu's energy, but your time here will have altered you. You will have only one chance, Taylor, and so you  _must_  then choose to return to the spirit. There will be no chance to repeat this procedure..." She warned, her eyes intent as she watched him closely.

"Thank fuck for  _that_  small mercy..." Taylor gasped, choking on the lingering pain in his chest, as warmth began to blossom through him; power radiating from within him as the crystal throbbed.

"Taylor; that means that whatever choice you make will be permanent... You will be unable to change your history again." The Clockmaker said quietly, shaking her head as she sighed lightly. "You will remember these events, Taylor... you  _must,_  for all our sakes." She said, as Taylor strained against the pain in his chest, desperately trying to press his lips to Jake's a final time.

 _I don't want to_ _remem_ _ber._.. He thought suddenly, finally managing to barely graze his lips over Jake's, before flopping back in his arms, staring up at him longingly. _I don't wanna remember my failures, all the people who died because of me. Quinn, and what I did to her... Jake, and Mike._.. He thought, his chest hitching as The Clockmaker began to chant in what he thought sounded like Latin.

 _"Aliquam tempus redire unde initum foedus ultimum complementum amissa remittat_." The Clockmaker murmured heavily, as the warmth in Taylors chest fanned itself into a crescendo of flames.

 _"Ah!"_  He gasped, his chest rising involuntarily, as he choked and trembled, biting his lip as he desperately tried to continue staring at Jake. _I wanna forget about everything, just for a little while... I just want to be with you. To be yours again_... He gasped, crying out as white light enfolded the throne room, stealing him away from Jake's arms. He felt himself pulled through time as The Clockmakers chanting droned on in the whiteness around him. "...  _Jake..!"_  He breathed, his eyes closing as an intense wave of pain seemed to rip through his chest, his entire body aching as he was forced back to a different life form.

As Taylors mind raced with pain, memories fell away from him in great swathes. Every experience, every hardship, everything he'd ever known attempted to slip away from him, leaving his heart beating in a firm and steady, if somewhat erratic beat; his chest rising and falling as his breaths came evenly, his head reclining against a comfortable rest.

However, despite his mind attempting to purge itself, images remained; a man with sandy hair in a sweltering jungle. A man with dark skin, in a concrete shelter, and a man who inspired a deep hatred in his heart, as he goaded him from beside a volcano.

_Seconds later, Taylor jolted awake, as the plane shuddered. He released a shaky sigh, running a hand through his damp hair as he stretched and tried to force the nightmares from his mind._

_He rubbed his eyes as they began to water, adjusting to the sudden brightness of the sun through the window. He glanced outside, blearily gazing at the glittering crystal clear waters beneath them, trying hard to shed the uneasiness still welling within him from the strange dream._

_"Wow..." he murmured, relaxing into his chair as he took deep breaths and tried to calm his nerves. He jumped when a finger rudely prodded into his shoulder, and he turned a half-hearted glare to his best friend Diego, who was watching him with a goofy smirk._

_"Morning, sleepyhead," Diego laughed, entirely unfazed by the semi-serious glare from his friend._

_"I'm not still dreaming, am I?" Taylor asked with a half grin, looking closer at his friend as his eyes had finally cleared of the sleepy fog. His throat felt oddly thick and sore, and he grimaced briefly as his friend rolled his eyes beside him._

_"I guess it doesn't seem real, does it?" Diego asked in return. "But we're finally on our way!" Taylor smiled, laughing at his friends enthusiasm and wondering what adventures the pair of them might find on their free vacation, to the island of La Huerta._


	19. Out Of Options

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... i am here to prove myself a liar again apparently -_-
> 
> I have split this chapter, as it had got to 22k and showed no signs of stopping any time soon... so i figured to cut this down a bit and then have an epilogue like all the others...
> 
> Also it means i have 20 chapters so... yes im that pedantic that makes a difference to me
> 
> So... heres part one of the ending... epilogue should be ready tonight or tomorrow (sorry!)
> 
> x My love to you all x

**19.**

**Out Of Options.**

Taylor gasped, his hand half rising to his chest as his knees buckled; the shockwave of blue-green energy dissipating as his exhausted body collapsed to the floor, sitting awkwardly as the agony he'd felt finally began to recede. He panted tiredly, his brow headed by sweat, which glued his short hair to his skin. His tattered heart raced, the memories he'd lived through still raw and vivid within his mind.

 _"Whaaaa?"_  Raj yelped, shaking his head as Taylor finally raised his eyes towards his friends, frowning tiredly at their varying confused expressions, their closed eyes slowly clearing as if waking from a dream. "What kind of acid-free trip did I just take?" The large boy complained, rubbing his head and shaking out his curly hair to clear the fog from his mind.

"I don't know bro, but your brownies give a way better come down..." Craig complained, shaking his head with a groan. "I feel like I just got went thirty rounds with that giant ass crab..."

"Taylor..." Jake murmured, his breath catching as he blinked and shook his head, his eyes widening as they swam with agonized tears of heartache.  _"Taylor!"_  He cried, lurching forward and dropping to his knees before him, pulling him into a tight hug and burying his face in Taylors throat, despite Taylors weak yelp of shocked protest. "Jesus fuckin' Christ, what the hell was that?" The pilot demanded, his chest hitching with wracking sobs of grief as he trembled. He pulled back, cupping Taylors face as he knocked their foreheads together. "What the hell-?"

"Jake... What? I don't-" Taylor protested, shaking his head as Jake's eyes ran over him in almost hysteric fear, his hand travelling suddenly to his chest. Taylor frowned, glancing down as the pilot pressed his hand to the hard spacesuit The Endless had made him, seeming even more distressed by the barrier between them.

"Taylor, that will have taken a lot of energy." The Clockmaker warned, walking over slowly, as Jake turned to glower at her, his arm rising protectively between the Vaanti and Taylor.

"Back off, River Song!" He snarled, scowling as the Vaanti raised her palms in a show of placation. "What the bloody hell did you  _do_  to him?!"

"Wait... What? What's going o-  _oof!"_  Taylors query cut off abruptly, as several of his friends converged upon him, almost knocking him free of Jake's tight hold in their urgency.

"I'm so sorry!" Quinn hiccupped, burying her face in his shoulder as Taylor blinked and looked around the concerned faces around him. "I wish I could have answered you! I'm sorry you had to face all that, and alone too!"

"Taylor, I am officially kicking your ass for makin' me act like such a dork!" Zahra growled, scowling furiously as she crouched beside him and hugged him briefly, before hurrying away to hide her embarrassment in Craig's chest, the jock trying not to smile at her emotional display.

"Huh?" Taylor balked, shaking his head as Michelle plastered herself to his other side. "Oh my god, you're all  _crazy people!_  What the  _hell_  is going on here?! This is not an appropriate Taylor sandwich moment!" He yelped, squirming as he tried to weakly escape his friends overly emotional hugs and shows of affection.

"Your stress levels peaked, and your heightened emotions needed an outlet; one which you were not providing them..." The Clockmaker explained, slowly lowering herself to her knees, though she wisely maintained a safe distance from Jake's intent glare. "In your distress, you inadvertently caused a backlash of time energy, from the crystal within you-"

"That  _you_  put there!" Jake growled, as Taylor flinched, turning to the pilot in wide eyed shock. "You made it so he couldn't touch The Islands Heart without almost having a goddamn heart attack!  _You_  did this to him! You-" the pilot snarled, scowling as he launched himself towards the Vaanti, only for Taylor to weakly restrain him.

"I had to reestablish his connection to Vaanu in order to return Taylor to this timeline, indeed to recreate it; due to Rourke's machine re-writing Earth's history..." The Clockmaker reasoned, folding her hands into her lap and tilting her chin towards The Omega Mech. "But, I was unaware of the consequences, of such prolonged co-existence..." The Clockmaker conceded, shaking her head slowly. "Taylor was not supposed to return so far through time. His past wore heavy on his heart, and he desired nothing more than to forget and start over. A final chance to live with you all; as you were."

"But..." Taylor shook his head, shaking off his friends from his sides, wearily pushing himself to his knees, while carefully holding onto Jake's arm; preventing him from attacking the Vaanti, as he frowned around the group uncertainly.  _"How..._  I don't-"

"We saw." Diego said sadly, peering at Taylor over Jake's shoulder, as Varyyn held him close in his arms. "We saw everything, Taylor. It was like we were reliving it..." He said, glancing up at Varyyn as the Vaanti tipped his head to Diego's longingly.

"The endless summer that you endured..." Grace said quietly, her face damp with tears as Aleister held her in his arms, the grief of their loss heavy in the air around them. "Taylor, I never meant to make you feel-"

"I'm so sorry..." Taylor blurted abruptly, his stricken gaze flickering between them both regretfully, as the fractured remnants of his heart heaved with pain and guilt. "You'd just... I mean, I-" he swallowed heavily, as Grace and Aleister exchanged a meaningful look, before looking towards him again.

"Reginald is our future," Aleister said slowly, if somewhat stiffly. "We will meet him again, perhaps even in the not too distant future..." He added quietly, squeezing Grace's shoulder gently as she smiled up at him.

"But-" Taylor said, shaking his head in confusion, until Jake took his face firmly between his palms, forcing him to meet his broken, guilty gaze.

"Boy Scout, I'm so sorry..." He murmured, his forehead pressing insistently to Taylors as he drew in a desperate breath. "I was an idiot, Taylor. I should never have let myself-" he choked, swallowing thickly as he drew back to meet Taylors gaze urgently. "It was real! I came... I was too late to stop ya, but I tried to tell ya-"

"Whoa, whoa,  _whoa..."_  Taylor huffed, a small twitch curling the corner of his lips despite the pilots distress and his own confusion, his tattered heart lighting with affection. "Slow down there, Top Gun... I'm gonna need some context here, 'cause honestly? I am really,  _really_  tired right now and not following you in the slightest..."

"I found your stupid note." Jake murmured in a quickly, shaking his head as he sighed unsteadily. "I came to see what ya meant in the Atrium, and... Taylor it scared the hell outta me. Once I realised you took the Endless's armour, I knew there was only one place you'd go. I never ran so fast in my damn life..." Jake admitted in a rough and tortured whisper, as Taylor stared at him in wide eyed disbelief, wincing slightly as Quinn managed to reattach herself to his arm. "Taylor... I never meant to make ya feel like I would trade  _you_  for anythin', I was drunk and stupid and... I might've been willin' to give my life for my family, but I weren't willing to give  _yours..._  I- I should've never let things get so bad that you'd ever believe that..."

"Jake..." Taylor said longingly, his tattered heart warming at the pilots confession. "I'm sorry... I never should have put you all through that in the first place. It's not your fault... You loved your family, it was only natural you were gonna miss them." He reasoned, looking around the guilty faces around him with a confused chuckle. "I  _understood_  guys... Forever stops sounding so fun, when you're stuck in the same place."

"Forever will never be long enough for me to be with you, Taylor..." Jake said firmly, swallowing heavily and shaking his head. "And I'll never forgive myself for makin' ya think otherwise..."

"Jake..." Taylor mumbled, the warmth in his heart fading somewhat, as he recalled the fate which still stood before him. "Jake, don't be an idiot..." He said lightly, trying to push aside the building grief in his heart and plastering a small smile to his lips. "There's only room for one, and it's my job, remember?"

"Heh," Jake hummed, gazing at him adoringly for another moment. "Well, we'll have to just start takin' turns..." He added quietly, before slowly leaning closer and drawing Taylor into an emotion fueled kiss which made his tattered heart melt.

"I feel so weird right now..." Mike complained, as Jake poured his utmost affection and adoration into his deep, languid kiss with Taylor. "It's like... I feel I  _should_  be jealous right now, but also not because I know full well that Grandpa is not my type... and I do  _not_  want him, just makin' that known."

Taylor felt his body lighten, each shattered piece of his aching heart racing, his skin burning beneath the pilots touch.  _No matter the world..._  He thought, though he was barely coherent through the haze of joy which Jake's kiss filled him with.  _This is all I want..._  He thought, as he felt a brief sting beneath his eyelids, and a wet warmth roll over his cheeks.

"Heh, guess we know where your jealousy came from..." Jake hummed with a soft grin, parting from Taylor barely enough to allow him to catch his breath. Taylor flushed guiltily, biting his lip as he peeked up at Mike briefly, before looking back to Jake.

"Hey, I didn't know any of that at the time..." He complained petulantly, toying with the pilots tags and gently touching each golden ring on his chain in wonder, a childish pout on his face, as his free hand scrubbed his cheeks quickly. Jake chucked softly, drawing in a deep breath and sighing in obvious contentment, staring at Taylor fondly.

"I believe that the change in his biology, may have resulted in Taylors experiences merely burying themselves into his subconscious..." The Clockmaker said thoughtfully, as Taylor turned to look at her with a curious frown. "The futures were changed however, and not a part of the original time loop within which you were trapped... You should not have been able to reclaim the memories from those timelines-"

"Did you always know?" Taylor asked, interrupting The Clockmakers explanation, her goggles changing lenses as she fell silent. "What I... am? What you did..?"

The Clockmaker watched him for a long moment, before dipping her head in acknowledgment. "... Yes." She admitted, as Taylor exhaled a deep breath, finding himself unsurprised by the Vaanti's answer. "I was aware that I would play a significant role in your future, or rather, that I already had-"

"You shoved a goddamn crystal in his chest,  _via a bullet wound!"_  Jake scoffed, turning to scowl at the Vaanti incredulously. "I'd say that's pretty goddamn significant, yeah!" He growled, as Taylor hummed distantly, his thoughts returning to when he'd met the Vaanti, and her assessment of him as 'different'.

 _I guess I was too strung up about The Endless and Uqzhaal, to think of what she night have meant_... He thought, ignoring Jake as the pilot continued to bicker with the Anachronist _. I guess that's why the poison didn't take..._

"So, how the hell do we get it outta him?" Jake demanded fiercely, startling Taylors attention back to their bitter argument, his heart sinking at his pilots distress. "You put it there, you gotta know a way-"

"Jake... You cannot remove the crystal." The Clockmaker said, shaking her head as the pilot scowled at her furiously.

"Why the damn hell  _not?!"_  He demanded, glancing at Taylor worriedly. "It nearly damn well killed him when he left the island! If its not taken ou-"

"Jake, she means the crystal itself is gone." Taylor said gently, a resigned smile gracing his lips as he peered up at the pilot, who blinked back at him uncomprehendingly. "I went back too far, and it... broke. Remember the shard Varyyn managed to remove..?" He reminded, gently stroking the pilots cheek as he began to shake his head in denial. "He was lucky to be able to remove it... The rest, it's just; a part of me now. Buried in me, lost, molded with me. There's no way to remove-"

"You don't know that!" Jake said, swallowing quickly as his eyes found Varyyn briefly. "Blues Clues managed it before, he can do it agai-"

"No, Jake. He can't." Taylor said tiredly, shaking his head in a slow show of regret. "I'm sorry, but there's no way to remove it... And even if there were, it wouldn't matter at this point."

Jake swallowed heavily, his jaw clenching for a moment, before he nodded reluctantly. "Then... I guess it's kinda lucky we don't have the rest of the world to travel to anymore..." He said finally, his fingers trailing to the flower behind Taylors ear. "I mean, we got a house to build anyway, right?"

"Jake..." Taylor sighed, his heart clenching tightly, the splintered pieces seeming to vibrate in distress. He looked up at Jake to fins the pilot purposely avoiding his eyes, his gaze focused on the flower determinedly.

"I mean, all those shells to collect..." Jake hummed, his voice raising slightly as he tried to talk over Taylor, his eyes narrowing slightly in concentration. "And lets face it, we're gonna have to start cuttin' down trees soon; get the logs just right-"

"Jake!" Taylor pleaded, his hands rising to the pilots cheeks, drawing him into a deep and heartfelt kiss. Jake curled his arm around the small of Taylors back urgently, desperately trying to keep him from retreating, and making a sound of distress when Taylor finally succeeded in gently pulling away. "Jake... You've seen it for yourself now; what will happen, if I stay." He said gently, biting his lip to contain his own grief and the overwhelming sense of loss he felt. "I  _tried,_  Jake. But the cost was too high... There's just, no place for me here." He said thickly, his throat constricting as he thought of the times he'd lost the pilot already; unable to decide just which was truly the worst.

"Taylor, your place is with  _me..!"_  Jake insisted, clutching at Taylors hands desperately and holding them before his chest. "Taylor please, we're different people now; we understand better!" The pilot pleaded, as Taylor shook his head in sad denial, his heart weighing heavily with guilt. "We can learn from our mistakes, make things work. I'll spend eternity showing ya just how sorry I am... We can do this..."

"Doodlejumps, we got two choices here..." Raj said, scratching his head as he frowned around the group uncertainly. "And I stand by my original vote, guys... I say we stay. Its a way better option than Rourke's fifty shades future..."

Craig and Zahra exchanged a glance, considering briefly before nodding in unison. "We should stay. We know what to expect now, it won't be such a shock." Zahra said, as Craig draped his arm over her shoulder and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Are you guys  _insane?"_  Michelle demanded, scowling at them incredulously. "Did you not just see what happened to you guys? Because I did. Taylor made the right choice to get us out of that hell, and you expect him to send us right back again?"

"Guys, Michelle's right." Sean said reluctantly, as Jake scoffed and shook his head, averting his eyes away from the group in disgust. "It wasn't a great future... But we just saw that we can win! We can make it better again." The athlete implored, as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Sure thing, Steve Rogers." He snarked, glancing over with an irritated scowl. "Sacrifice ya friend for your own future." He sneered, shaking his head and turning away again. "You'd do just fine in Rourke's world. You're just as goddamn heartless as he is."

"Hey! That is  _not_  what I mean and you damn well know-" Sean growled, a scowl forming on his face as his hands balled into fists, his furious gaze locked onto Jake.

"If you two need me to wallop you both and knock some sense into you, I am more than happy to..." Taylor sighed, grimacing as he tried to push to his feet. "But just know, I am really bloody tired, and I will resent you  _both_  for it infinitely."

Jake scowled at Sean a moment longer, before making a final barb despite Taylors threat. "We can't let Rourke rewrite the world again..." The pilot muttered darkly, shaking his head when Sean made to protest. "Think of all the people he killed, just 'cause he could. Ya might wanna remember what happened to ya parents in that world. Ya friends, schoolmates-"

"Jake, shut up..." Taylor murmured tiredly, shuffling the last if his weight to his feet, and slowly pushing himself upright with his pilots reluctant help, as Jake stood with him. "Stop trying to pick a fight. You're all arguing a moot point anyway; you don't get a say anymore. We're out of options." He sighed, shaking his head as he peered around the nervous faces around him.

"I... was pretty close to dying in Rourke's world." Quinn said quietly, peeking up at Sean and Michelle sadly. "I'm sorry, but I really don't want to feel that way again..."

"I would never let that happen again, Quinn." Taylor murmured, wrapping his free arm around her shoulder briefly. "But, incase you missed my little speech just now; I  _said_  you don't get a say this time..."

"But, Taylor..." Diego protested, shaking his head as he stepped closer and drew Taylor into a sidelong embrace, as Quinn moved aside for him. "What else can we do..?"

"I have to do... exactly what I was made to do." Taylor said, drawing in a see breath as Jake's arms tightened around him, drawing him away from the others and into a fierce embrace of his own. Taylor allowed himself to revel in their closeness, closing his eyes as he buried his face in Jake's jacket, and inhaled the familiar whisky scent of his jacket with a soft smile. "I didn't plan on you all being here..." He said thickly, clearing his throat as he tried to steel his nerve. "So, I don't have a proper goodbye planned..."

 _"Goodbye?!"_  Diego yelped, as Jake roared in denial, the rest of his friends exchanging nervous glances as they stepped closer to him. "Dude, what the-"

"There was so much I wanted to do... I had it all planned." Taylor continued, oblivious of everything beyond Jake's arms, trembling as they held him tightly to the pilots chest. "But I am honestly so damn tired, I'm not sure I can anymore... But, doing this at least..." He huffed, drawing back and opening his eyes to peer up at Jake longingly. "I can finally give you all exactly what you need."

"Taylor, man, I am not liking the vibes here man..." Raj sighed, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"Taylor... I don't like the sound of this. You're scaring me..." Quinn said, her eyes wide as she bit her lip. "Please, don't-"

"Godammit, Taylor...  _No_!" Jake growled over everyone, his eyes overflowing with profound anguish, as Taylor felt the aching pieces of his heart yearn to his pilot. "I just got a second chance with you! We just got  _married!"_  He pleaded, his voice finally breaking as he choked on a sob, his agony matching Taylors in its intensity. "Please Taylor, don't do this... I swear, I'm gonna cross every goddamn mile of space if I have to; I am not gonna repeat the same mistake... I am  _not_  lettin' you go again!" He said fiercely, as Taylor wept heavily.

"Jake..." He tried to reason, only for Jake to shake his head vehemently, refusing to let him speak any further by leaning down to claim his lips in a bruising kiss which stole Taylors breath, and made him wish he could exist in that single moment for eternity.

"I'll say it again, if I have to..." Jake panted when he finally released him, his forehead resting to Taylors firmly. " _My_  heart is where you belong.  _My_  heart,  _my_  arms,  _my_  side... Forever. Not Vaanu's."

"Jake..." Taylor sighed, his eyes stinging fiercely as he pulled Jake into a tight embrace, his chest hitching with a sob, as he sensed his time growing short. "I know... I know." He whispered, kissing his pilots throat softly just below his ear. "And as long as I exist, this will always be the most painful thing I've experienced... but, I have no choic-"

 _"How..?!"_  Taylor drew back from Jake with a jolt, his eyes wide as he stared at Rourke, who was leaning against the bar and staring at him in disbelief. His eyes still faintly glazed, it seemed as if the man was still waking from the dreamlike state Taylor had locked him in. "How did you destroy my perfect world? I..." He choked, shaking his head as he collected himself, standing straight as he pushed away from the bar and tugged his jacket lapels closer around his shoulders. "Nevermind. It's irrelevant now... I'll know what to expect this time." He said with a confident smirk, approaching the group from across the roof, as Jake snarled and moved between Rourke and Taylor. "This is your only chance to regain what you've been denied, Taylor. A normal life. I'll even adapt your history now, that your little lover remains at your side. That was your biggest complaint, ye-  _hrk!"_  Rourke grunted, as Jake's fist connected with his jaw, knocking him away from the group.

"Keep talkin' Daddy Weirdbucks, 'cause I got a whole lotta punchin' I wanna do right now; and you're the only one I ain't gonna get yelled at for." Jake growled, his frustration evident as he stood stiffly between Rourke and Taylor. "Honestly, ya lucky I ain't armed right now, else I'd be followin' Boy Scout's example and filling ya so full of lead, you'd-"

"Jake..." Taylor called tiredly, wrapping his arms around the pilots torso from behind him and resting his face to his back. "It's okay... He can't do anything to me anymore." He said, gently drawing back and turning the pilot toward him. "It's okay."

"Taylor... It is nearly time." The Clockmaker said gently, her comment causing Jake to reach for him nervously, glancing at the Anachronist Vaanti with a scowl.

"Taylor, please..." The pilot implored, swallowing heavily as he laced their fingers together tightly and raised Taylors hand to his lips. "Please, I'm beggin' ya... Don't go where I can't follow."

Taylor blinked back tears, the broken shards of his heart twisting sharply in his chest; leaving him aching, desperately wishing he could say the words his pilot longed to hear. "I love you, Jake..." He said instead, a watery smile alighting his lips as he leaned upwards and briefly touched his lips to Jake's for the final time.

With his heart heavy, Taylor used the last of his energy to stop time, a broken sob escaping him as he gazed up at the man he'd come to love more than he'd known would ever be possible. He drew in a deep, shaky breath and turned away, looking around his friends longingly. "I love you all..." He murmured, as the last remaining shards of his tattered heart were crushed by the immensity of his decision. He slowly detached his hand from his pilots, looking towards The Clockmaker, as he approached the pillar of crystal. "Time... is the soul of the universe. It touches everything and everyone..." He mumbled, his eyes heavy with tears as he faced the crystal for the final time. "Oh god..." He whispered, shivering nervously as his fingers twitched.

 _Time to set everything right. Except_... Taylor hesitated, half turning towards his friends as he considered his past choices.  _Every plan I've ever made has cocked up spectacularly... If I manage to pull this off; if I can stop Vaanu from ever touching their lives, from forcing them to come here... Then they'll never have known me_. He thought, swallowing heavily as his fist curled into a ball, recalling the things he'd seen in The Endless's memories.  _Vaanu made Quinn sick, cost Craig his dream of being drafted with Sean. Made Grace lash out, drove a wedge between Michelle and Sean. Diego's bad relationship with his parents, the difficulty he had making friends. Jake_... Taylor swallowed thickly, his eyes narrowing hatefully as he drew in a deep breath.  _Losing Mike, Fiddlers intense hatred... It was all Vaanu. Playing with their lives, forcing then to come here; to meet me..._

Taylor grit his teeth, scowling as he shook his head and sighed heavily. _I know what I want to do... But, I also know that I'm running out of steam fast_... He thought, glancing up at the frozen vortex above him. He narrowed his eyes, glancing over his shoulder thoughtfully _. I might not be able to fix everything like I'd hoped, and if that's the case, they're gonna be mad as hell; if I don't at least explain properly_... He sighed, debating another moment, before moving over to Diego, who was frozen in place near Jake, reaching for Taylor where he was no longer stood in the pilots hold.

"Sorry, assbutt..." He murmured, clearing his throat awkwardly, before quickly patting his friend down until he found his phone. His throat constricted, his eyes stinging intensely as he opened the phone and reluctantly scrolled through it until he found what he was after.  _With a little luck, there'll be no need for this. But just incase... At least, I'll have let them know_... He thought, exhaling shakily as he tried to gather his emotions together. He took a deep breath, and finally hit record, saving a message for his friends to listen to after he'd completed his task. When he was finished, he finally choked on his grief, shaking his head as he replaced Diego's phone from where he'd taken it from.

Slowly, Taylor crossed the rooftop again, stopping before the crystal pillar and lifting his hands toward it hesitantly. As he looked up at the frozen, twisted starlight, he paused; looking at his outstretched arms as his tears fell freely, no longer bothering to restrain his emotional turmoil. He turned to look at his friends a final time, his love for them swelling in his chest as he sucked in a deep breath and collected his nerve. "I love you." He said thickly, his throat tight with the sincerity of the deep sense of love, devotion and longing he felt.

He turned back to the pillar of crystal, and with a heavy sigh, pressed his palms forward to touch the pillar.  _"Aah!"_  Taylor gasped, as time instantly restarted itself, a shockwave of time energy surging outward from Taylors body as he clutched at the pillar desperately.

"Taylor..." Diego murmured lightly, blinking confusedly as he realised Taylor was no longer where he had been.

"Taylor!" Jake cried brokenly, his eyes widening as he realised Taylor had slipped from his hold. " _Taylor! No_!" He roared, racing toward him, only for The Clockmaker to block his path. "Get outta my goddamn way!" The pilot snarled, as the vortex vegan to descend toward the rooftop, its spiralling arms winding ever tighter.

The Clockmaker shook her head regretfully, raising her palms in placation. "The Catalyst has made his choice, Jake. You cannot interfere now; to do so may result in his death, not to mention the catastrophic effect on-"

"I said," Jake growled, launching forward and grabbing her by the wrist, twisting her arm behind her back and shoving her towards Mike, who restrained her with a nod. "Get the  _hell_  outta my goddamn way!" He roared, lurching unsteadily as the building buckled and began to split apart.

"W-what's happening?!" Grace demanded, clutching at Aleister as she gazed at the breaking up hotel in terrified confusion.

"The hotels breaking apart!" Craig cried, as he gripped Zahra tightly, securing her safely against his chest. The jock looked over at the pillar of crystal, his eyes widening as he saw Taylor struggling to hold on.

"Taylors being a goddamn idiot!" Jake snarled, desperately trying to regain his balance.  _"Taylor!"_  He cried, his eyes searching for a way to reach him, as the Omega Mech teetered backwards and fell over the edge of the hotel, destabilized by the crumbling building.

"No!" Rourke gasped, his eyes widening as the rooftop lurched, watching his prized robot disappear. "What have you  _done?!"_

Taylor gasped, struggling to keep his grip on the pillar as he heard fighting and arguing from behind him. The shattered remnants of his heart lurched, as he felt Vaanu reaching for him, its glee radiating through him like a wave of nausea.

 _"Taylor!"_  Jake cried, desperately working his way across the unsteady rooftop, as Taylor gripped the crystal harder.

"Jake, man, what're you  _doing?!"_  Sean yelled, moving to restrain Jake from his determined struggle to cross the rooftop. Jake growled, knocking the athletes hand aside and quickly lashing out with his foot, hooking Sean's legs from under him and driving him to his back.  _"Oof!"_  He huffed, as Jake continued to scrabble his way around the opening holes and debris lining the rooftop.

"Taylor!" He called, as Taylor tried to block out his voice, clinging to the crystal pillar by his fingertips. He felt Vaanu's grasp tighten, deep within him, a pulling sensation which seemed to draw him upward.

 _"Aaah!"_  He yelped, as at the same time, Jake's arms wrapped around him from behind, the pilots chest pressing firmly to his back. "Jake..!" He gasped, looking over his shoulder with wide eyes, as his pilot scowled at him.

"I ain't lettin' ya go again, Taylor!" The pilot growled determinedly, unaware of the intensifying pull from within Taylors chest. "A year and a day, we  _swore_  it! You belong  _here,_  with me!" He yelled, before leaning down to seal his lips against Taylors firmly.

Taylor cried out with longing, desperately wishing he could give in and remain with the pilot. He felt a splintering inside himself, as something shifted, twisting and jerking harshly. A column of light engulfed the pillar, surprising Jake and causing him to flinch from his intent kiss, allowing Taylor to gasp in pain, regret and yearning.

"Taylor!" Quinn cried, her eyes frantic as she thrashed against Raj's hold, trying to follow Jake across the rooftop. "Taylor!  _No!"_  She called, screaming in frustration as Kele helped the large boy restrain her.

"Varyyn, we have to help!" Diego pleaded, as the Vaanti's arms held him tightly against his chest, his Elyyshar's expression filled with regret.

"There is nothing we can do, Diego..." The Vaanti explained, shaking his head as he watched the pillar of crystal begin to rise into the sky; with Taylor still clinging to it. "This is Taylors choice now..."

"No! Taylor! Get outta the damn sky, assbutt!" Diego yelled, beating his fists weakly against Varyyn's chest, sobbing desperately as he tried to help Jake.

"Ya hear that, Taylor?" Jake demanded, his hold on Taylor tightening, resisting Vaanu's pull with a scowl. "Ya can't damn well  _do_  this, ya hear me?!" He growled, his fingers digging into Taylors arms as he fought to keep hold of him. "Godammit, ya belong with us! Ya belong... with  _me!"_

"Jake-" Taylor sobbed, his eyes meeting the pilots determined gaze as he looked back, his every fiber wishing he could remain in the other mans arms forever. Before he could utter another word however, his world was overtaken by white light; his final glimpse of Jake, of the pilots eyes widening fearfully.  _No..!_  He thought, his chest aching as he felt himself falling; falling upwards. Despite the white light obscuring everything, he felt an odd sense of clarity; as if he were looking out from a mountaintop on a cloudless day.

Every past, every present and every future seemed to occur simultaneously around him as he rose, but still he yearned for cerulean blue eyes, and the firm arms he had felt holding him safe so many times.

Vaanu's presence spoke in his mind, and Taylor felt his determination spike at the strangely familiar words. " _ **Doesn't feel real, does it?"**  _The spirit sighed, its joy apparent as the white haze began to clear, revealing the world to Taylor; the intense fires receding across its surface. " _ **But, we're finally on our way**_..." It murmured, its voice echoing gleefully.

"No." Taylor said quietly, gripping his own intense emotions tightly; forcing a wedge between his mind and the spirits and startling it to a halt.

 _ **"How-"**_  Vaanu faltered, trying to move on into the universe, as Taylor determinedly struggled against the spirit, refusing to let it leave completely.

"Honestly, I do  _not_  know..." Taylor admitted with a huff, struggling to maintain his hold and prevent the spirit from escaping the Earths atmosphere. "But I do know, that I'm not going anywhere with you, unless you fix what you did to them..."

 _ **"I cannot. To do so would be paradoxical**_." Vaanu protested, attempting to rise once more and suitably startled when Taylor stubbornly held them in place. " _ **Without the Catalysts, I could never return home! This should not be possi**_ -"

"I don't care about you going home..." Taylor said, feeling the heavy conviction of his words; a warmth which spread throughout his own consciousness like wildfire. "I don't care about  _you._  I care about  _them..._  And I won't let you get away with what you did to them."

 _ **"It was a necessary**_ \- Vaanu began, only for Taylor to snarl, his power swelling briefly in his determination.

"I don't  _care!"_  He roared, his emotions clamouring on his tight grasp. "I said,  _fix_  it!" He barked firmly, as his fury wriggled free of his hold. With its escape, Taylor felt his other emotions scatter eagerly, blazing through him like a shockwave.  _No..._  He thought desperately, as Vaanu leaped for freedom and Taylor once again found himself falling, falling, falling...

Jake choked, collapsing to his knees in disbelief as everyone found themselves gathered outside of The Celestial. He stared up at the tranquil stars, shimmering where the vortex had until recently dominated the sky, with tears staining his cheeks.

"We... were on the roof." Raj hasped, looking around them in wide eyed disbelief. "How did we... get down here?" He wondered aloud, as Quinn slumped in his arms, staring vacantly ahead.

"A parting  _gift,_  I imagine." Rourke snarled, scowling in irritation as he beheld the world around him with disdain.

Jake ignored them all, slowly turning his gaze to a dark plume of smoke, winding from the top of the hotels collapsing tower. "Taylor..." He breathed, shaking his head in disbelief as he watched the smoke curl higher into the night sky.

"... Grandpa-" Mike called gently, reaching for Jake's shoulder, only to think better of it at the last second. He followed his friends gaze to The Celestial rooftop, his heart breaking at his friends overwhelmingly palpable sense of loss. He looked down at Jake again, before returning his determined gaze to the hotel roof, firing up his jetpack as he launched himself into the sky.

"Where the  _hell's_  he think he's  _going?"_  Michelle demanded, watching the pilot soar through the sky, as she crouched hesitantly beside Jake, though wisely did not attempt to reach for him.

"Not to worry. We're all going back." Rourke said pompously, drawing a portal gun from his coat pocket and aiming it at the group. "And  _this_  time, Taylor will make the right choice!" He said firmly, his eyes narrowing to a hateful glare towards Jake's crumpled position on the floor.

"He's gonna send us back in time!" Zahra balked, as realisation struck her. Craig gently moved her aside, his expression twisting into a scowl.

"Like  _hell_  he is!" The jock growled, launching himself forward alongside Estela, as Jake drew in a deep breath and exhaled shakily; utterly ignorant of his surroundings.

Before Estela and Craig could reach him, Rourke pulled the trigger; only for nothing to happen. "What? I tested it only yest-" he balked, abruptly cutting off with a choke, as Craig drove him to the ground, while Estela wrestled the inert gun from his grasp. She tossed it aside with a scowl, as Rourke struggled to reach into his pocket, becoming distressed when he cane up empty handed. "The crystals!" He gasped, ignoring Craig and Estela as he began to scrabble desperately through his other pockets. "Where... where are they?"

"They're  _gone,_  Rourke." Quinn said furiously, scowling at the man as huge tears welled in her eyes. "Forever." She spat, wriggling in Raj's hold to lash out at the man with her legs.

 _"Whoa,_  feisty pants..." Raj muttered, barely containing the thrashing redhead as she began to growl and scream in heartache and frustration.

Rourke squirmed backward, panicked thoughts playing behind his darting eyes. "Th-that's not possible!" He gasped, shaking his head vehemently, his eyes wide as his hands rose to his hair, tugging it free of its perfect coif. "There were too many! I built everything on-" he muttered to himself, as The Celestials main tower finally gave out, collapsing to the ground with a thundering crash.

 _"Mike!"_  Michelle gasped, Sean moved towards the wreckage, holding his arm before his face as a huge cloud of dust swept across the area.

"Its too thick!" The athlete warned, hurrying to help Michelle pull Jake from the ground. "Quick, move out!" He cried, forcing Jake towards the beach with the others, despite the pilots resistance, as he tried to keep his gaze locked on the destroyed hotel.

"Wait, where's Kele?" Michelle gasped, looking around urgently, as Jake flopped to the sand despondently, staring out at the lapping waves vacantly.

"I don't think he made it down..." Raj said slowly, as Quinn finally broke free of his arms and ran over to Jake, throwing her own arms around his shoulders tightly.

"Jake..." She whispered, though the pilot remained as stoic and vacant as ever, trapped within his overwhelming sense of loss. Quinn's expression crumpled, and she buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing quietly.

"Everyone,  _look!"_  Varyyn cried, gazing into the distance with his eyes wide. "The horizon no longer burns!" He said, as Diego reluctantly followed his gaze.

"Does that mean..." He hummed distantly, his eyes widening in realisation. He glanced around the others, their expressions matching his own disbelief. "The worlds okay?" He choked confusedly.

"The anomalies, the crystals, the energy..." Grace said, shaking her head before looking up at Aleister for confirmation. "It's all gone!"

"And the disparate timelines, are finally unified." The pale boy agreed, nodding gently.

"So..." Quinn sniffed, raising her red rimmed eyes from Jake's shoulder. "I guess Kele went back to his own time, then..." She said, her voice thick from the emotion.

As the group looked out across the ocean, Furball paced nervously, continually glancing back at the ruined hotel as the dust finally began to settle. "... He ain't comin'." Jake muttered, swallowing heavily as the group looked down at him in sympathy.

 _"Mrooo..."_  Furball whined sadly, as tiny icicles seeped from his fur. The small blue fox crept to Jake's knee, staring at the destroyed tower as he sat rigidly beside the pilot.

"He ain't comin', ya bloody Smurf,  _okay?!"_  Jake said, his voice hoarse as Quinn sobbed and held him tightly. "He ain't  _ever_  comin'! He... He..." The pilot hung his head, his shoulders shaking as Rourke fell to his knees and began frantically digging in the sand.

"Th-there are more..." He gasped, muttering to himself wildly as he threw sand every which way while digging. "There must be more crystals..."

"Yo, I see ships out there!" Craig cried, pointing out to the horizon. "Two of them, coming this way!"

Jake sniffed, raising his head as he swallowed down his grief as best he could. "Those are American Coast Guard cutters." He murmured disinterestedly, lowering his eyes again and finally acknowledging Quinn, patting her on the hand gratefully.

Gasping for breath, Rourke fell to his side and began weeping piteously. "No... No, no, no..." He chanted, shaking his head vehemently, as he slowly broke into a scowl.  _"Damn_  you, Selected!" He growled, his teeth flashing in his momentary fury. "This island was  _mine!"_  He whined, his self pity returning once more. "Now you've taken it... you've taken everything! My dream, my a-ambitions!" He sobbed, as a searchlight flashed across the beach from one of the Coast Guard ships.

Estela narrowed her eyes, crouching next to Rourke and coldly observing his grief. "Ambition, yes." She said thoughtfully, snorting derisively as he continued to merely mewl pathetically. "'Hard work and thrift'... but not dreams." She sneered, shaking her head at his pitiable state. "Dreams come from the heart. They're for those who see the goodness in mankind, and want to enlarge it."

"You wanted only to enlarge  _yourself."_  Aleister sneered, scowling down at the man he'd called father his entire life. "And here you are, weeping over handfuls of sand, as they slip through your greedy fingers."

"M-mine-" Rourke muttered brokenly, his expression crumpling as Estela scoffed and got to her feet, moving away in disgust.

"You own  _nothing."_  Aleister drawled, turning his back on the man, as he looked over towards The Celestial badly. "Your friend is returning safely, Jacob..." He murmured, glancing down at Jake, who now had Diego's hand on his other shoulder as well.

Jake sighed, turning to see Mike slowly, carefully lowering himself through the settling dust. He half turned away, before looking back again sharply, twisting away from Quinn with a gasp; as he turned and clawed at the sand in his desperation to reach his best friend. "Wha-" Quinn began, before catching sight of Mike, and hurriedly scrambling to her feet after Jake, with Diego close on their heels.

"Oh my-" Michelle breathed, running after them as Mike touched down gently, slowly lowering himself to his knees.

"Grandpa,  _don't-"_  he warned, his expression falling as Jake ignored him and raced forward, scuffing his knees on the hard ground as he collapsed before his friend and panted heavily.

"How-" Jake choked, reaching hesitantly toward the lifeless body in the other pilots arms, his heart swelling as he gently took one hand; a heartbroken sob escaping him, when the hand remained cold and unresponsive. "No... no, that ain't fair..." He choked brokenly, as Quinn and Diego wrapped themselves around his shoulders.

 _"Move."_  Michelle demanded, shoving the three of them aside roughly, as she quickly knelt before Mike. She pressed her fingers to the pulse point in Taylors throat, and her tense shoulder immediately dropped. "He's alive..." She breathed, leaning forward to gently pat his cheek. "Taylor..? Can you hear me?"

"I tried everythin' I could think of..." Mike said, shaking his head slowly, looking at his friend guiltily. "I'm sorry, Grandpa, he's-"

"Don't you say it!" Jake cried, his voice rising to a furious roar, as he scowled around the entire group, pushing Diego and Quinn aside as he reached again for Taylors motionless body, gently drawing him into his lap. "Don't any of you damn well  _dare_  say it!"

"Jake... he's gone." Sean said, ignoring the pilot as he snarled and looked up at him murderously.  _"This_  is your fault. This is because you wouldn't let him go."

"Like  _you_  would've, if it were Maybelline?" Jake spat, his teeth clenching as he snarled at Sean, the athlete scowling back at him hotly. "Like you woulda if it he'd of picked  _you?!"_

"You're  _damn right_  I would've!" Sean growled, stepping closer as Jake tentatively drew Taylors empty body closer in his lap, his hold remaining ever gentle on him. "I would've respected his wishes, just like I respected  _him!_  You never did that! He deserved better than some selfish, path-"

Mike stepped closer to Sean, his expression darkening as he met the athletes gaze calmly. "I think you wanna quit while ya ahead, boy." He said quietly, glancing down to where Jake had returned his distressed attention to Taylors unresponsive body. "I can assure ya now, the Kid knew what he wanted, and if you respect him like your so damn keen to say; that means you'll shut the hell up, and leave his grievin' husband alone."

Sean grit his teeth, looking away as Michelle checked Taylor over as best she could, frowning at his continued lack of response. "I don't understand..." She said, shaking her head slowly. "Physically he's fine, better in fact than I would have expected. But... it's like he's-"

"Taylor has returned with Vaanu." The Clockmaker said quietly, drawing in a deep breath as she gazed up at the first light of dawn, as it began to steal away the stars. "This body is from his life in the future Rourke rewrote... There he was human, with no attachment to Vaanu; and that is what remains."

"Because it had no connection to Vaanu, Vaanu couldn't erase it..?" Michelle quizzed, glancing down at Taylor in horror, as realisation dawned on her. "You mean..?"

"The body will live on, as long as it is able." The Clockmaker confirmed, as the Coast Guard ships arrived on the shore. "But Taylor, everything that he was, is gone forever; returning now with Vaanu to its own-"

"I swear, if you keep talkin', I'm gonna start punchin' and I don't even care that ya a goddamn girl." Jake growled, scowling at the Vaanti im disgust.  _"You_  did this to him!  _You_  shoved that thing in him,  _you_  made him think he had no other choice!"

"Taylors path was always laid before him," The Clockmaker disagreed, shaking her head slowly. "He was made for this purpose; he knew this."

"He was made to be with  _me!"_  Jake cried, finally choking on the cloying grief welling in his throat. "We fit... We... We were meant to be forever... We  _promised-"_  he broke off abruptly, swallowing against the bile crawling up his throat as he gazed down at Taylors empty body longingly.

"Guys, how are we gonna explain this?" Diego said urgently, gesturing to the approaching Coast Guard lifeboats heading towards them. "Where we've been? What we've seen? Not to mention-"

"Shit, can we get him to Treesville?" Jake asked, looking over at Varyyn imploringly, only for the Elyyshar to shake his head sadly.

"I'm sorry, Jake..." The Vaanti said regretfully, gazing down at Taylor uncertainly. "My people do not have the methods to care for him in such a state. It would be unlikely he would survive..."

"Well then, what in the hell are we suppo-" the pilot growled, his frustration evident as he exhaled sharply, and ran a hand through his hair distractedly.

"With Vaanu gone from the island, and Taylor with him; his body should be free of the lingering effects of the crystal." The Clockmaker said, looking around the island a moment, before walking towards the tree line at the far end of the beach. "You will be able to take his body with you..." She said, pausing to look back briefly, before disappearing among the foliage.

Jake stared after her a moment, his heart racing at the possibility. He swallowed, looking down at Taylors seemingly sleeping face, and brushed the backs of his fingers over his cheek gently. "Well..." He sighed, looking up at the rest of the group uncertainly. "I have a feeling tomorrows gonna be one hell of a news day..." He said, as officers began to disembark and approached the group.

"Are you all, alright?" One asked, peering around them all with a frown as the sun rose, illuminating them as they stared back at their rescuers nervously. "Holy shit, Nick... It's, it's  _them!"_

The officer's partner immediately stepped away, talking into a radio urgently as the first officer approached Jake, who scowled and hugged Taylor closer in his lap. "What's happened? He looks like he needs medical attention; we have a sick bay aboard that'll do until we can get you to the mainland..." He said, reaching to lift Taylor from Jake, only for Quinn and Diego to block his path.

"Trust us when we say, you'll appreciate our intervention; when your arms remain attached." Diego warned, glancing down at Jake as he shifted Taylor carefully in his arms, and gently rose to his feet. "But, you could do something about that..." He added, pointing to Rourke's weeping form on the sand. "That's the man who kidnapped us..."

"And held us prisoner!" Quinn added, scowling down at Rourke, her eyes swollen with the tears she was trying to contain. "And made our lives hell!"

"I can confirm everything they've said." Aleister said, tipping his head in a rough greeting. "I am Everett Aleister Rourke the second..." He said, as the officer balked and saluted briefly.

"If that's so... How did you all get away?" He asked, scrathing his ear curiously, looking around their sad and dejected faces, as they turned towards Taylors motionless body in Jake's arms.

"He saved us..." Quinn said thickly, as Jake swallowed heavily, locking his jaw to contain his own emotions. "Taylor saved us all..." She whispered, turning to bury her face in Diego's shoulder, as he wrapped his arm around her gently.

"... Phew." The officer whistled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, lets get you aboard. Nick can deal with the arrest." He said warmly, gesturing to the lifeboats. The group turned to Jake, who took a deep breath, and slowly led the way; carrying Taylors empty body in his arms, his heart desperately yearning for him to wake the entire journey.

Soon enough, they were all brought aboard the Coast Guards ships, the sun slowly rising as the officer who'd greeted them showed them to the basic medical bay, where Jake gently set Taylor onto a bed. "Okay, you cannot all stay here..." The attending nurse said, her eyes wide as she examined them all and their various wounds. "Once I've checked you over, you'll have to head back to the deck-"

"This is Taylor... McKenzie. Jake is his husband." Michelle said quickly, her professional tone catching the nurses attention. "He's breathing normally and shows no signs of concussion or any noticeable injuries, his pupillary dilation is normal... but despite all attempts; we've been unable to wake him." She explained, her hand curling delicately over Taylors, the gesture not passing unnoticed by the nurse.

"... Well. The husband may stay." The nurse said at last, pursing their lips and narrowing their eyes at her warningly. "And just because you've had training, doesn't mean you're getting out of a checkup!"

Jake swallowed thickly, ignoring everyone as his eyes remained locked on Taylor, his heart lurching as he felt the ship depart for the mainland; carrying them, and Rourke, homeward at last. He remained at Taylors side, barely moving as the nurse checked him over, except for to growl acerbically when they tried to remove the flower from behind Taylors ear. "It  _stays."_  He snarled stubbornly, scowling as the nurse as they finally growled in frustration and let the matter go.

"Right," the nurse declared an hour later, having sufficiently dealt with the groups mostly superficial wounds; except for Mike, who had merely laughed and said he was way beyond the nurses pay grade. "Everyone out, now. I need to see if I can do anything for this young man... Taylor, you said?"

"Yeah," Craig hummed, scratching his ear awkwardly as he and Zahra leg the others out the door. "But good luck gettin' Jake outta here." He muttered, as Zahra nodded, looking back briefly before following the jock out.

The nurse frowned, taking a deep breath as they stepped up beside Jake and carefully pried his hand from Taylors. "I need to get a drip into him, and run some tests." They said, urging the pilot away from the bed insistently, as Jake's expression slowly darkened. "You can come back, as soon as I'm finished, but it may cause you more distress to stay. Just... give me one hour." They finally bargained, as Jake grit his teeth stubbornly.

"Grandpa..." Mike said, laying his hand on his friends arm and encouraging him further from Taylors bed. "You want the best for him, right? Let the nice little nurse do their job and make him comfortable, and then we can come back and see him and you can stay..."

Jake grimaced, his eyes flickering from Taylor to Mike, and finally settling on the nurse distrustfully. "...  _One_  hour." He groused reluctantly, his gaze returning to Taylor longingly as he allowed Mike to lead him away. He pulled back at the door however, turning with a furious scowl. "And don't bloody touch his flower!" He barked, as Mike rolled his eyes and gently tugged on his arm. "... And don't hurt him! Or, or do anything that'd-"

"C'mon, Grandpa." Mike said firmly, forcibly dragging Jake from the medical bay, as the pilot stared at Taylors unmoving face until the door closed between them. He led them up to where their friends were huddled on deck, watching a distant shore grow closer.

"Holy shit, you got him out..." Diego sighed, as Raj held out his hand for Craig to reluctantly slap a crumpled note into, the jock scowling at his friend petulantly. "Is there-"

"No change, Pinky." Mike said, as Jake allowed the others to huddle around him, silently offering him their support.

"Do you need anything else?" Asked the officer who'd brought them aboard, their brows drawn in concern. "We'll be in Miami in a few hours..."

"I think we're fine for now..." Michelle said quietly, her face unusually clear of makeup, and her eyes heavy with tears. "Thank you."

The officer nodded, pausing a moment before seeming to gather their nerve. "You guys realise you've accused the Everett Rourke of kidnap, among other things..? Aren't you afraid of what he'll do to you?"

"Hardly." Aleister drawled, peering down his nose distastefully. "As his son, my word alone will carry more than enough weight. But even so there was plenty of evidence stored in The  **MASADA**  Compl-"

"Yeah, I blew that place up..." Zahra said lazily, an unrepentant grin curling her lips as Aleister raised a brow at her. "Worth it." She said, shrugging her shoulder lightly.

"Hmm, well luckily," Aleister sneered, wrapping his arm around Grace, as she huddled closer into his side. "There was a backup system, within my fathers office at The Celestia-"

"Taylor blew that place up." Zahra quipped with a smirk, winking at Aleister when he scowled at her.

"Oh, balderdash..." The pale boy muttered, sighing as Grace giggled guiltily at his frustration. The officer waited another moment, but with the group lost to their own thoughts, they quickly vacated and left them to their obvious grief.

"What... happened?" Quinn finally asked, as Jake's jaw clenched tightly to lock down on his emotions, refusing to give in to the urge to breakdown.

Diego's phone beeped, as the others began to banter and bicker quietly about what they believed happened, and Jake turned away from them all, as Diego pulled the device from his pocket and raised it to his ear.

 _"Hey..."_  Diego gasped at the instantly recognizable voice, his eyes welling with tears as he pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it in disbelief. " _It's Taylor_..." Diego slapped his hand over his mouth in an attempt to hide a choked sob, his wide eyes rising to meet Jake's, as the pilot turned back to him in vague curiosity.  _"I uh, I know what I said before, in my letters about you not remembering me... But then I remembered, around ninety percent of my plans never go the way I expect them to. That said, part of me actually really hopes you get this_..." Diego swallowed, as Jake stared at him in rising agitation, sensing his emotional distress. " _And... I hope you can all forgive me, for going on one last uh... Well, lets say adventure, without you."_

"Oh my god..." Diego choked, shaking his head as he waved the phone at Jake shakily, his mouth opening but no sound escaping at first, until he pinched his own arm hard. "G-guys..." He called to the others, waving them over quickly.

"Is that from Taylor?!" Zahra gasoed, recognizing the voice herself as Diego hit the loudspeaker button, causing Jake to stiffen suddenly; his throat tight, as his gaze locked onto the phone. Diego quickly gathered everyone's contact details, hurrying to forward the message to everyone.

Jake stiffly reached for his phone, turning the device on and staring at the newly received message vacantly. "Grandpa..?" Mike asked hesitantly, as Jake shook his head and slowly walked away from the group, hoping they understood his need for privacy.

He walked down the stairs, returning to the medical bay as if drawn by his prone husband. The nurse turned with a scowl as he entered, but upon seeing his distraught expression, they allowed him to sit beside Taylor and take his hand; careful of the newly fitted drip in his arm. "... Boy Scout, this just ain't fair..." He muttered, his gaze rising to Taylors expressionless face as his tears finally began to fall through his lashes. "How many times are ya gonna make me lose ya..?" He asked, choking as his heart fell in his chest, heavy beneath the burden of a life without Taylors smile, his laugh, his life beside his own. He bit his lip, glancing at his phone and hesitating a moment longer, before finally swallowing hard and pressing play.

 _"I wanted to make things right_..." Taylors voice said into his ear, and Jake grit his teeth, his eyes burning as he looked down at Taylor brokenly; sensing his heartache in his message. " _You see, over our two thousand, one hundred and forty... and a half, lives together; I learned something. I learned that Vaanu affected each of your lives, in terrible ways. It broke you, in some specific way; so that you would need me. I'm so sorry, there aren't words for how much I hate it; for everything its put you through... But, I really think this is the best chance for everyone_." He said, pausing to draw in a shuddering sigh.

" _When I learned what it had done to you, I decided I would undo it... To take away the suffering you went through, would mean to prevent you ever coming to La Huerta_." Taylor said determinedly, and Jake's face fell, imagining just how fierce his expression would have been, as he glared into the vortex. " _Having said that, I've learned the hard way that my plans never go how I expect them to, so... this is my backup, to explain... and to say goodbye."_

"Dammit, Taylor..." Jake growled, pausing the message and scrubbing his eyes furiously, choking as he gripped Taylors unresponsive hand tightly.  _"Godammit-"_  he snarled, growling as he snatched up his phone from Taylors covers and hit play again.

 _"I think, somewhere along my lives, I realised something I... think I must've always known. I was made for this... You could even say, it's why I was born_." Taylor said, his tone heavy with grief as he swallowed thickly, his pain palpable as he took several deep breaths to try and force his words free. " _There's... A reason, you can't quite remember me from before La Huerta. And, why I always had trouble, talking about parents or school. The truth is... I'm not who you think I am."_

Jake swallowed thickly, recalling Taylors desperate pleas on the rooftop, his heart hammering in his chest; desperately wishing he could throw his phone across the room and never hear Taylors next words, while instead cradling the phone closer to his ear, desperate just to hear his voice again.

 _"I'm me. I'm Taylor_." Jake barely stifled a sob, as Taylor choked on his words, his struggle apparent even though only a voice recording. " _But I exist... because Vaanu, and all of you, willed me into being. I'm that missing piece in your life... The part of you which Vaanu broke, just so it could send me to fix you; and draw off the energy of your affection for me. I understand if you feel betrayed, god knows I did when I first figured it out... But then, I realised I could help you all, one last time; and the price, well... What's one, not even a real life, compared to all of yours?"_

"Taylor, you goddamn idiot." Jake snarled, pausing the message and shoving his phone into his pocket, glaring at Taylor through his furious tears. "You wake up,  _right now_  Boy Scout. You face me, and you deal with the fact that you deserve the ass kicking I'm gonna give ya for thinking such goddamn stupid shit!" He demanded, his scowl slowly fading, falling into a desperate and broken grimace when Taylor remained as unresponsive as ever. "Please, Taylor... You can't leave me now..! Look, you're right here! Just... Just wake  _up,_  damn it!"

"Jake." Diego called from the doorway, as he and Quinn slipped inside, ignoring the pilots obvious tormented rage as they crossed the room and plastered themselves to his sides.

"This is goddamn  _horseshit!"_  Jake cursed, swallowing heavily as he moved his hands to the rail if Taylors bed, gripping it tightly enough that his knuckles turned white. "How could he even think that crap, let alone dare fuckin' say it?!"

"You know how Taylor wa- is..." Quinn said hesitantly, her slip causing an awkward silence to hang over them for a long moment. "He always valued our lives above his own..."

"I bloody didn't!" Jake growled, before his fury suddenly evaporated, and he slumped forward over Taylors bed. "He's worth... hund'ed of me..." He muttered, his hand curling around Taylors, as he laid his face on his legs; his eyes slipping closed, despite his obvious attempts to fight them.

"Wha-" Quinn gasped, reaching for the pilot, only for Diego to hold her back, removing a small needle from the pilots shoulder.

"Michelle gave it to me..." He said quietly, finding a blanket and gently laying it over their friend, who appeared as peaceful in slumber as Taylor; a vast contrast to the snarling beast he'd been moments before. "She knew he'd freak out, and with everything we've been through..." Diego trailed off, clapping Jake on the shoulder gently, and discarding the used needle in the appropriately labelled bin. "Rest up buddy..." He sighed, looking up as Taylor sadly, before turning away and heading back out the door.

Quinn hesitated a moment, before leaning down to gently brush Jake's hair from his face, kissing his brow and pressing her forehead to his briefly. "Don't let it beat you, Jake..." She whispered, her crystalline eyes pleading with the sleeping pilot. "The world can feel like its crushing you sometimes... But don't give in; we're here for you, just don't give up hope." She said, turning to Taylor with a scowl. "And  _you..."_  She began, before her expression melted into a tortured gaze of longing. "Just... wake up, please." She begged, kissing his forehead, before rushing out of the medical bay with her hand over her mouth.

Jake slept soundly, though his choice in the matter was somewhat negligent, considering the mild sedative he'd been given. When he woke in the morning, it was to the startled realisation that Taylor was being prepped for flight. "Oh joy, the husbands awake." The nurse said flatly, clearly unimpressed by Jake's dishevelled state and attitude. "Well, you'll be pleased to know that transport has been found for you to travel with Taylor. You'll need to get a move on, you're boarding shortly."

Jake grimaced, reluctantly making use of the facilities down the hall, before quickly returning to Taylors room. "So, where too, Matron?" He asked, gently collecting Taylor from the bed.

"You realised there are plenty of other ways he could be transporte-" the nurse began, only to sigh at Jake's defiantly stubborn stance, his arms gentle but firm as he held Taylor close to his chest. "Well... This guy must have the patience of a saint." The nurse muttered, before gesturing for Jake to follow them.

The pilot carried Taylor carefully through the hall, and up to the deck, following the nurse to a small plane, where he found the rest of his and Taylors friends were already seated. "Here..." The nurse called, gesturing to a reclining chair which was almost flat; a drip already waiting on a secured infusion stand.

Jake hesitated, before gently setting Taylor down in the chair, moving to sit beside him and take his hand gently, as the nurse worked quickly to reconnect his drip. Jake's eyes never left Taylors unresponsive face, his heart racing as he raised his free hand to toy with the rings Taylor had placed on his tag chain. "... C'mon Taylor." He whispered, leaning back with the others, as the aircraft gathered speed and rose off the tarmac. "You always promised you'd be with me when I returned home... But I never thought you'd do it like this, Boy Scout." He sighed, shifting as he dug his phone out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen, sighing as he tapped Taylors message again, and raised it to his ear, turning to watch his seemingly endless sleep as he lifted the phone to his ear.

 _"Jake..."_  Taylors voice broke, and he paused, as Jake squeezed his hand tightly. He swallowed heavily, as Taylor audibly choked, before forcing himself back under some semblance of control. " _I promised you a year and a day... and I am so, so sorry I won't be able to fulfil that vow. What we had is very rare, and I am so grateful that I got to experience it... More so, that I got to experience it with you. Over, and over again_." Jake gasped, looking to the plane roof as he tried to keep his burning eyes from allowing his tears to escape. His heart ached for Taylor, despite his physical closeness; sensing the yawning hole within where Taylors key essence was missing.

 _"It's because of you that I'm able to face this decision_." Taylor said thickly, chuckling faintly as Jake imagined him shaking his head fondly. " _I actually imagine you just want nothing more than to kick my ass right now... But I mean it, Jake. The strength and confidence you taught me is what made me able to put your needs ahead of my own this time_..." Jake grit his teeth hard, turning to gaze out the window vacantly as clouds breezed lazily past the windows. " _You gave me a lifetime worth of love, in just a few short weeks, and I will cherish that; cherish you, for however long I exist..."_

Jake swallowed, feeling his tears finally roll over his cheeks. " _Part of me will be with you always, Top Gun_." Taylor said, as Jake snorted, turning to look at the empty shell beside him, wondering if Taylor had any idea of the irony of his comment.  _"And you, I take with me, wherever I'm headed next_..." Jake lowered his phone, shutting off the message again and pressing his clenched fist to his trembling lip, closing his eyes as he leaned close to Taylors body, and pretended he could still feel his warmth within.

The remainder of the flight passed quickly, almost too quickly. Jake watched his life play before his eyes, as if he'd hit fast forward, but forgotten he was supposed to still be a part of it. They returned to the states, where Rourke's babbled testimony incriminated himself, even before the group of friends had given their account of everything they'd seen. Completed with Mike's testimony of Lundgren's cruelty, it was almost as if the vision he'd seen so long ago had indeed come true.  _And Taylor was right... He wasn't there for it._  He recalled thinking, as he'd sat in the familiar hospital room, quietly retelling the events to Taylor; until the nurses had once again chased him out.

It was four months later, that he found himself dropping off a small housewarming gift for Craig and Zahra in their new form apartment. "Ya know... Rebecca keeps askin' to see ya, and ya folks." Mike said, as they walked out of the elevator and started down the hall. "Don'tcha think its time ya-"

"I can't. Not yet." Jake said, shaking his head as he stared determinedly at the floor. "I just... How do I go about it, Mike? 'Oh hi, yeah, while I was runnin' away from y'all; surprise! I got married! Oh, but ya can't meet him 'cause he's gone to another world with the being that made him, and only his empty husk remains'? Don't think so, Kid."

"Or, you could just say  _hi_..." Mike muttered, rolling his eyes as he looked around for a suitable change of subject, granting his friend a reprieve from his nagging for the evening. "Grandpa, ya supposed to get 'em something nice..." Mike said, his eyes settling on the gift Jake had brought somewhat dubiously.

"What?" Jake groused, glancing at his friend with a stubborn tilt of his chin as they knocked on the door. "They're college kids. Beer is always appreciated."

 _"Good_  beer is always appreciated." Mike countered, rolling his eyes as Jake made a waving motion as if to shoo him away. "That piss would be better used as sink cleaner."

"Well, least the kitchen'll always smell like a party." Jake hummed, his gaze turning distant as the apartment door opened, and a familiar voice drifted out to them.

" _Zahra and Craig... On an island where nothing was what it seemed, your perspective grounded me_." Taylors voice said fondly, from a phone on speaker, on the kitchen table.

"Oh crap, bro, sorry..." Craig said, his face falling as he caught sight of Jake's carefully guarded expression, his eyes alight with his grief. "Z, kill the-"

"Nah, no worries, Big Guy..." Jake said quickly, swallowing back his own emotions as he plastered an unconvincing cocky grin to his fave and strode into the apartment with Mike, handing over his 'gift'. "Never a day I don't listen to it anyway... Just caught me by surprise." He admitted guiltily, heading over to Zahra and nodding, staring down at her phone as she hesitated, before pressing play again.

" _You never took anything at face value, and you taught me that the truth can sometimes be complicated_." Taylor said gently, huffing in amusement as Jake imagined him running his hand through his hair with a faint grin. " _Who'd have thought I'd be the poster boy for that sentiment..? Heh."_

Jake noticed the tv in the background, his eyes narrowing as he see a courtroom, where Rourke was being restrained by security personnel. "Check out Phony Stark..." He said, tipping his chin towards the screen, where Rourke's face was slick with sweat, his eyes wild as he screamed about the crystal people and how they were coming for them all.

"What a douche." Craig snorted, shaking his head and draping his arm around Zahra's shoulders, as she chuckled in agreement.

Jake glanced at Raj, as the large boy finished putting his final touches to a platter of nachos and cheese, jalapenos and avocados. " _Raj, thank you for your big heart._.." Taylor said warmly, as Jake closed his eyes and remembered all the times he'd felt that warmth for himself. " _You never took any credit for being the one person holding the group together, but I saw what you did... You made us more than a group of friends. You made us a family... The greatest family, I could've ever wished for."_  Taylor sniffed, as Jake opened his eyes with a sigh, to see Raj sprinkle the last of a handful of cilantro across the nachos and kiss his fingers.

"Bon appetit!" He called, jubilantly carrying the platter over to the next room for everyone to snack on. The rest of the evening passed quickly, and despite an awkward beginning, Jake felt himself relax marginally; comforted by his friends as they spent the evening recounting their more hilarious adventures on La Huerta for Mike's benefit.

Three weeks later, he was complaining, shuffling awkwardly with his hands in his pockets as he tried to avoid bumping into a large crowd of gathered students in the Hartfeld University campus quad; scowling at the Dean as he addressed the crowd. "I'm just sayin', I don't see why I had to come..." He groused, scowling as a college guy bumped into him and winked. "These kids annoy the crap outta-"

"Ya here, because it ain't healthy for ya to sit in a hospital room every free second ya get..." Mike complained back, sighing as he peered over the excited heads before them, wishing he still had his jetpack; but his Arachnid armour had been confiscated as evidence. He'd been awarded a medal for his services, which he'd promptly tossed in the bin upon returning home to his family, before going about finding himself a new pair of artificial legs. "Honestly, Grandpa, I think ya might even be makin' him sick by bein' there all the time... How many times you been kicked out now, anyway?"

"Ah, I lost count somewhere around the forty third..." Jake said dismissively, his attention focusing on the front of the crowd, as Aleister and Grace stepped up on a podium.

"I'm proud to present your Class of twenty eighteen Valedictorians; Grace Hall and Aleister Rourke!" The University Dean announced, and Jake begrudgingly joined the hail of applause which broke out around them.

"Thank you." Grace said, beaming around the crowd brightly, though her gaze softened when her eyes alit upon Jake and Mike. "Before we begin, we'd like to share some words from someone... very special to us." She said, biting her lip as she looked out at Jake imploringly.

Jake swallowed, already sensing what would follow should he give his support. He hesitated, glancing at Mike uncertainly, as his friend smiled crookedly and spread his palms unhelpfully. He turned back to Grace with an uncertain grinace, but nodded despite his hesitance. Instantly, the dark skinned girl looked to Aleister, who played a portion of Taylors message from his phone to several loudspeakers set up throughout the quad.

All at once, he was flooded with Taylors voice, reverberating through him like his own pulse from his heart. " _I've learned that sometimes, when trying to get from ibe place to another, you can end up somewhere... Unexpected."_  Taylor hummed thoughtfully, as Jake drew in a deep breath, yearning for the part of his husband which had made the enchanting speech to them all; desperately wishing it would return to the lifeless body he kept vigil by during every free moment he had. " _It's all part of the journey... You might have already arrived where you were meant to be, whether you realize it or not. You should never, give up hope_." Taylor said tearfully, and Jake folded his arms over his chest, trying to pretend the empty space in his chest didn't throb with the desire to comfort his lover, despite the long distance between them. " _You'll find your way, if you keep moving. In the meantime, savour every moment you spend right where you are. Chances are, you won't be back_..." He sighed, as Jake swallowed heavily, recalling all the moments he wished he'd known to savour himself. He forced himself from his own thoughts, as Aleister turned off the message, his hand falling to Grace's shoulder as she sniffed and smiled tearfully into the crowd. She began to speak for herself, but Jake remained lost in the echoing remnants of Taylors voice, pulsing deep within his own vacant heart.

Three months later, Jake walked through a college gym, scowling at anyone who so much as looked his way; and carrying a small bag which Michelle had instructed him to deliver to his now least favourite athlete. He refused, sworn and vehemently rejected her demand, however; upon her threat to permanently bar his access to the hospital, had at last conceded.

He found Sean in an empty locker room, his phone in his hand as he sat on a bench. "Here." Jake growled, shoving the bag in his face, before spinning on his heel. "Maybelline sends her regards, blah, blah, blah." He said, waving his hand dismissively over his shoulder.

"Jake, wait-" Sean called, setting his phone down on the bench beside him, and accidentally catching the loudspeaker button. "Shit-" he cursed, as Taylors voice burst into the room.

" _Sean, you showed me what a true leader is. Compassion, is strength. Selflessness, is bravery_." Taylor said thoughtfully, as Jake paused mid-step, half turning back to the recording. " _You made us all better, just by knowing you."_

"Pfft," Jake scoffed, rolling his eyes as he shook his head in exasperation. "He always did have bad taste..." The pilot sighed, his shoulders slumping in dejection.

"Heh, explains why he married you." Sean snorted, and Jake turned with a growl, only to find the athlete grinning fondly. "'Course,  _you_  knew that better than any of us." He sniggered, as Jake finally relented, a small grin tugging at his lips.

"Yeah, guess I did at that." He admitted wryly, his hair falling in his face as he shook his head slowly.

"Listen, Jake... I'm sorry, man." Sean said awkwardly, as Jake raised a brow at him curiously. "I was outta line that night. It was never your fault, I just... He was our friend too, ya know?"

Jake swallowed thickly, turning his back on the athlete so he could hide the glisten of tears in his eyes. "... Ya weren't wrong, Cap." He sighed, moving back across the locker room slowly. "I know he was ya friend... But he was so much more than that to me. He always will be."

"Man, you can't keep sitting in that room all the tim-" Sean protested, reaching for Jake's shoulder, only for the pilot to brush him aside easily.

"Watch me." Jake scoffed, scowling over his shoulder from the doorway. "So long as he's there, that's where I'll be. If this is the only way I can be with him, then I'm gonna damn well do it." He said determinedly, quickly hurrying back through the halls before the athlete could stop him.

A month later, Jake answered a knocking at his door with a sigh, leaning against the door as he peered down in disdain. "Hi, Jake!" Diego greeted in a bright sing song, strolling inside with a man in a long trench coat with a braided ponytail.

"Wow, this is what passes for a disguise these days, huh?" Jake snorted, rolling his eyes as the pair adjusted Varyyn's hat and sunglasses, while the Vaanti grinned at him through his disguise.

"Shhh." Diego warned playfully, pecking Varyyn on the nose as he found himself a seat. "So, Grumpy, how've you been?" He asked, as Jake closed his door and rolled his eyes despairingly.

"Every week, you guys turn up here, despite my telling you; every week, not to." The pilot complained, ignoring Diego's playful banter entirely. "And quit tryin' to gimme nicknames, ya suck at it." He said, moving into his kitchen to get his unwelcome guests drinks. "So, what're ya havin'? A 'get the hell out'? Or a 'bugger the hell off'?" He called, snickering at Diego's resigned sigh.

"We can stick to beer again, or just water, we're easy..." Diego said, as Jake rolled his eyes, sighing at the inevitable. "So how-"

"I'm fine, Mike's fine. His family is fine, mine are pissed because I still won't go home and I'm conveniently never in when they hit town..." Jake called, grabbing three beers from the fridge and walking into his small living room. "And... no change." He added quietly, handing a drink to the pair.

"I'm kinda surprised you're even home, to be honest..." Diego said quietly, as he dug his phone from his pocket. "I was half expecting to have to cone find you at the hospital and drag you back here for some sleep."

"I sleep plenty." Jake said dismissively, averting his gaze around the sparsely decorated apartment.  _No place is home without Taylor, anyway... Why bother tryin' to dress it up just for me?_  He thought, sighing as he raised his beer to his lips and took a long swig. "Besides, you two are like clockwork... He'd get pissy at me if I left ya to sit around outside." He sighed wistfully, as Diego placed his phone on the table, glancing up at Jake; and grinning at the roll of his eyes, taking the gesture as permission, and hitting play.

 _"Diego, what would we have done without each other_..?" Taylors voice rang through the room, making Jake shiver, desperately yearning he could bring his husband home to fill the apartment with life, and laughter and sound. " _No one makes me laugh like you do... You were the missing piece that completed my heart. And I carry you with me always."_

Jake got up from where he'd perched on his table, moving to the window and staring into the empty outside world as his heart ached, hearing Diego sigh behind him and shut off his phone. "Jake..." He said, standing and moving closer to the pilot. "He wouldn't want you to live like this..."

"We're a little past what he wants at this point..." Jake murmured, peeking at Diego's reflection in the window beside his own, before looking through it again, as twilight touched the sky. "I know what he'd say, what he'd do... if he could. But he can't." He said, quickly draining his bottle and turning to his friend as he brushed tears from his eyes. "I can't do what he'd want. I can't... stop. He was everything to me, Short Stuff. I can't move past that, he's all there is for me... And, I never really told him that."

"You married him, that pretty much told him..." Diego snorted, bumping Jake's shoulder lightly as he tried to cheer him up. He frowned suddenly, looking at the pilot in confusion. "Wait, you're there with him like, all the time... What the hell do you talk to him about if not-"

"Well I mean, mostly its my dick..." Jake said lightly, as Varyyn began to laugh, spilling his beer as Diego choked and flushed red. "Seems kinda personal to me, but as ya asked; there's also fucking and blowing, ya know... Stuff to encourage him to wake up."

Diego spluttered, as Varyyn laughed wildly on the couch, dislodging his hat entirely.  _"S-seriously?!"_  He choked, his face red and his eyes wide as Jake scowled at him.

"No, not seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?" The pilot snarked, shaking his head as his lips twitched with amusement. "His body's goddamn comatose... And for all I know the rest of him is a million miles away. I got better things to talk about than fucking." Jake snorted, smirking as Varyyn gasped raggedly and wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Well, like what..?" Diego pressed, as Jake snorted again, shaking his head at the other mans insistence.

"You don't learn from ya mistakes, do ya Short Stuff?" He snickered, eyeing the pair fondly, despite the longing they inspired in his heart. "I tell him... I miss him. And, I really wish he hadn't left me like this. I tell him I'd trade everything in my goddamn life for him to come back. I tell him what you idiots are up to..." He sighed wistfully, turning to gaze out the window again longingly. "I tell him I still love him, more than I can...  _ever_  tell him..."

Diego glanced at Varyyn, his husband finally sobered by the pilots quiet confession. "Well, wherever he is, I know he still loves you just as much too..." He said, his hand falling to Jake's elbow gently.

"Yeah..." Jake sighed, staring at the stars as they began to glitter I the darkening sky. Diego sighed, sensing the mans need for privacy and moving to sit with Varyyn, using his phone to place a familiar order for the Chinese takeaway down the road.

It was another month, before he found himself meeting with anyone from the group again, successfully dodging Diego' and Varyyn's visits. He knocked on Quinn and Michelle's door, smiling tiredly at the familiar yapping which came from within. When Quinn opened the door, her brows rose in surprise, and she started guiltily. "I didn't think you'd come!" She gasped, glancing back over her shoulder, before smiling and stepping aside to admit him. "But I'm pleased you did!"

"Heh, yeah I..." He said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck guiltily. "I've been... busy." He hedged, clearing his throat at the obvious lie, as Quinn enveloped him in a tight hug.

"It's okay, Jake..." She whispered, kissing his cheek softly as she drew back. "You don't have to explain. I know..." She said warmly, before biting her lip guiltily. "I was uh, I was actually just listening to..."

Jake snorted, shaking his head as he followed Quinn into the kitchen. Her eyes flickered to her phone, as Jake leaned against a counter, watching her place a tray of muffins into an oven. "You don't have to stop on my account..." He said thickly, smiling weakly as she sidled up to him and picked up her phone. "I think the damn thing is burned into my brain at this point..." He sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, just as Michelle walked in.

"Jake!" She called in surprise, moving over to hug his other side. He snorted as she wriggled under his free arm, briefly considering with some amusement, how lucky he might be feeling if he swung a different way. "What're  _you_  doing in the real world? Not that I'm complaining..." The blonde asked, drawing him from his musings with a jolt.

"I'm doing some baking for the trip, and asked Jake if he'd like to help me drive over..." Quinn replied, as Jake shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze lowering to the phone in her hand. "And... listening to Taylors message again." She admitted, as Michelle laid her head on Jake's shoulder gently, silently offering comfort and support.

As Quinn placed the phone on speaker, Furball heard Taylors voice, and darted onto the room expectantly. His perked ears drooped sadly as he gazed at the phone in realisation, and Jake shifted as the small fox jumped into his arms. " _Michelle, I have no doubt whatsoever; you're going to get exactly what you want out of life... and you deserve everything. All the times you patched me up, all the times we talked and you opened up to me... I can't thankyou enough, for all the trust you showed me_." Taylor said warmly, his voice soft as he spoke to the blonde, who sniffed and buried her face in Jake's shoulder. " _And Quinn, more than any of us... You know what it's like, to fight for something with every fiber of your being. You weren't willing to ever give up on a better tomorrow, so neither could we_." He said, his voice turning thick as his emotions clouded him. Jake swallowed, still affected just as strongly by the message as the first time he'd listened to it, his empty chest desperately yearning for his lost lover. " _Whenever things felt bleak, the power of your hope was a beacon, reminding us to look toward the future with optimism... Nobody ever teased me half as much as you did, and I'll miss hearing you laugh when you successfully managed to make me blush."_

Quinn swallowed heavily, reaching for an antique set of dog tags hanging near her heart, as she shut off the message. "I miss Taylor... and Kele." She choked quietly, blinking back tears as Jake drew in a deep, unsteady breath.

"Me too, Red." He sighed, his voice strained as he gently pet Furball behind the ears. "Me too."

Two and a half months later, he was just about to leave his apartment, when his computer began to chime. He grimaced, debating for a moment, before turning with a sigh. He switched on the screen, and found a video call waiting for him. "Goddamn timing..." He muttered, scowling as he flopped into his chair with a scowl and accepted the call. "Whaddaya want, Katniss? I was on my way out." He growled, leaning his cheek into his hand.

Estela scowled as she finished placing a pile of clothes into a suitcase, briefly glancing outside at the sunny shore of San Trobida as if looking for something. "Shut up, McKenzie. I was calling to make sure you hadn't forgotten that my flight leaves in an hour."

"Kinda hard to forget when ya invited yaself to stay with me." He scoffed, narrowing his eyes as he noticed her phone raised hesitantly to her ear.

She blinked guiltily, glancing at her phone herself. "I uh, I didnt think you were gonna answer..." She admitted, biting her lip uncertainly.

Jake sighed, rolling his eyes as he waved her on. "Stop bein' a damn chicken and play it." He snorted, a tiny grin hitching the corner of his lips as he winked at her. "Unless ya want me to just repeat it for ya. I could jazz it up for ya, add in some stuff about how much of a pain in the ass ya are, invitin' yourself to stay in peoples homes-"

Estela rolled her eyes, sighing at the pilots dramatic display. "The wedding is in three days and I have nowhere else to stay." She said flatly, narrowing her eyes at the pilot suspiciously when he grimaced. "Oh, you are not getting out of going." She growled, scowling at his guilty shift of weight. "If I have to dress up and behave McKenzie, you can rest damn well assured that I'm dragging you along too; and I don't care how much you whine or kick and scre-"

"Argh, shut up and play ya damn message, Katniss." Jake scoffed, scowling at the dark haired girl as she firmly pressed play and put the phone on speaker.

 _"Estela..."_  Taylor said with a chuckle, causing Jake's expression to instantly melt into a soft, sad smile of wistful longing. " _You're a force if nature. Your unbridled fury, can level mountains, evening out the landscape for all who reside within_." Taylor huffed, as Estela raised a brow at Jake pointedly. " _You taught me how to be fair, how to be true, and how to be just..._ "

"More like how to be a pain in my ass..." Jake snarked, before he petulantly shut off his computer, saluting at Estela with a cocky wink as the screen went dark. He snorted, feeling infinitely pleased with himself for what he considered his entirely un-childish win. He sat in the chair, his eyes falling to his own phone for a moment. "... Screw it." He muttered, swallowing heavily as he leaned forward on his elbows and pressed play, raising the phone to his ear.

 _"I didn't really get very much time with all of you... But, at the same time I did, because even though we didn't all survive in some timelines; I still got to relive the best parts of our many lives._ " Taylor said longingly, a pregnant pause following as he audibly swallowed, and Jake could almost hear him painting his least convincing smile on his face.  _"I remember everything... And our memories will last forever within me, I can promise you that_." Jake paused the message, his heart clenching as he neared the end. He shook his head and grit his teeth, shoving the phone in his pocket as he got to his feet and stormed towards the door, slamming it closed behind him as he stormed out of his apartment.

His path was familiar, routine, a path he could have walked in his sleep by this point. He jogged the short distance down the road from his apartment to the hospital, slipping up the stairs around the back and pausing at a desk to grab a fistful of flowers when nobody was looking. He carefully pressed his back to the wall, peeking around a corner until he was certain the nurses were occupied with a patient down the hall, before slipping into a private room; immediately greeted by the quiet beep of monitors, and an otherwise stony silence. He swallowed heavily, his eyes already stinging as his heart raced, ever hopeful despite the thousand other times he'd walked into the room similarly.

Jake bit his lip, slowly walking forward to peek around a curtain, his heart lurching in both excitement and resignation, at Taylors unchanged expression. He sighed, his shoulders sagging as he rounded the curtain and sat beside his husband, reaching to deposit the flowers into a vase atop his bedside cabinet. "Bet ya never thought I'd get ya flowers..." Jake murmured, leaning forward to gently take Taylors hand and press a kiss to his palm, before cupping his hand to his cheek and sighing. "Damn, Boy Scout, ya sure know how to make me behave like a sap. I keep tellin' myself I ain't gonna, but one look at you and it's like I'm fallin' all over again." He said, drawing Taylors hand to his lips again, kissing his individual fingers slowly. "Taylor... I just don't know how to work without you anymore..." He confessed quietly, looking down at Taylors seemingly sleeping face wistfully. "Please, Taylor... I can't-" he choked, biting back his grief as he sucked in a deep breath to cut off his shaky sob, forcing a heavy sigh instead.

With his heart throbbing with a familiar pang of pain in his chest, Jake pulled his phone from his pocket, his throat tight as he stared at the screen and pressed play. " _Most people spend their lives searching for a purpose... something to dedicate themselves to. It's a beautiful journey, that I'll never undertake.._." Taylor said, his voice thick with the obvious weight of his emotions, as Jake drew in a deep and, ragged breath. " _I've only ever existed to serve my purpose... You. All of you._ " Despite the sadness which welled because of the words, Jake could imagine perfectly the way which Taylor would have been smiling when he said it; the exact bright smile which had never failed to melt his heart.  _"I love every one of you so much... Don't you ever forget that."_

"But what about us, Boy Scout?" Jake pleaded, his lips brushing over Taylors knuckles as he gazed down at him through tear blurred eyes. "Did ya just forget that we love you? That we need you..? Godammit, Taylor..." He whispered thickly, gritting his teeth against the familiar ache in his chest.

 _"Although our summer is over, another one will come soon_..." Taylor said wistfully, as Jake felt his tears roll over his cheeks, his every fiber tight with a grief as deep as when he'd first lost his husband. He closed his eyes, and imagined he could see Taylors smile, the longing he'd have expressed in the dark blue eyes he'd not seen in a year. " _When it does, imagine me there with you... spending our days on the beach, watching every sunset... melt into the sea..._ " Taylor choked, unable to hide the tiny hiccup of a sob, despite his obvious attempts to. " _And gazing at the stars... that filled our hearts with wonde_ r..." He continued, sniffing in the recording just as Jake sniffed beside him in the present. " _Because with you... is exactly where I will be."_

"But you're not, Taylor, you're  _not..."_  Jake croaked, sniffing as the message clicked off, returning to the beginning once more. "You're not here with me... with any of us." He mumbled, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand unashamedly, his heart aching desperately for a response, a flicker, a breath. He watched Taylor for a long moment, sniffing as he forced his emotions back into the box he'd locked them into before he'd met Taylor, many years before. He knew it would only last a few moments, but it would allow him to speak without sobbing like an emotional idiot.

"I gotta say, Boy Scout..." He sighed, huffing in dry amusement as he averted his gaze out the window at the end of Taylors bed, staring at the stars like Taylor had just told him to; though they no longer filled his heart with wonder, instead only ever filling him with longing and pain. "Nobody can ever say my anniversary gift was lackluster, compared to yours." He snorted, gesturing to his stolen flowers. "Hope ya like 'em, though... They ain't as pretty as yours." He said quietly, stroking the petals of the soft flower behind Taylors ear. Grace and Aleister had preserved it for him, the only time Jake had allowed it to be removed.

"A year and a day..." Jake whispered, swallowing thickly as he gazed down at Taylor longingly. "It ain't exactly how I pictured it, but I guess we did it..." He whispered, looking down at his watch, as the hands ticked around the face, counting down the final seconds to midnight. "Heh, ya stuck with me forever now, Boy Scout... Though I guess, that probably don't mean as much to you, wherever you are now." He said, wincing at the bitterness which crept into his tone. "Sorry... I just-" Jake gently replaced Taylors hand and stood abruptly, walking to the window and gazing out at the stars, his fingers curling into fists as he shoved them into his jacket pockets. "I get why ya did it Taylor, I do... But ya must've known how I would react. Ya must've known I would rather've died, than have to live like this... Without you..." He said gruffly, fighting the thickness in his throat as he watched the stars glitter above him. "Or, without the part of you which, made you...  _you_  anyway." He sighed, swallowing the hard lump in his throat before lowering his eyes to Taylors reflection behind him when a flicker of movement caught his attention.

"Shit..." Jake muttered, spinning toward the door as three nurses walks past and hurrying to hide himself behind Taylors curtain. He hopped up onto Taylors bedside cabinet, raising his feet as he held the small glass with his stolen flowers in his lap. A moment later the door opened, and a hand lifted the curtain quickly.

"No, nothing... He always manages to sneak in, I keep changing the schedules to try and stop him, at least outside of visitation hours..." A nurse sighed, the door swinging closed as they complained to their coworkers, cutting off the rest of their remarks.

"Heh, hear that, Boy Scout?" Jake snickered quietly, waiting a moment before sliding down from the cabinet quietly, replacing his stolen gift to its former position. "Think they're finally gettin' tired... I'll wear 'em down soon enough." He huffed, a tiny grin curving his lips as he retook his seat and peeked around the curtain briefly. "Well, at least I can relax awhile now... They usually don't come back for-" he said, falling silent when he turned back to Taylor to a brief flicker of movement beneath his eyelids. "You know I  _hate_  it when you do that..." Jake said after a moment, his heart in his throat as his wide eyed gaze remained locked on Taylors eyes, his tongue suddenly dry and swollen in his mouth.

Jake scooted closer to the edge of his chair, as he did everytime such a motion occurred, fascinated as hope soared in his chest, before crashing violently into his gut. He swallowed, narrowing his eyes as Taylors eyelashes fluttered minutely. His tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth, fear stealing into his heart even as it swelled with familiar hope. He glanced at his watch, the hands stuck exactly on midnight, stealing his ability to breath as his eyes returned to Taylor with a hopeful fire flaring through his chest.

"... If this is you're idea of a prank, so help me, I'm gonna kick your ass so bad; you're gonna never be able to sit right again..." He warned, hopping to the edge of the bed as Taylors brow creased slightly. Jake choked, his eyes widening as his heart leapt into his throat fully. "Hey..." He called, his eyes locked onto Taylor as he gripped his hand tightly, the machines monitoring his heart skipping a beep. "Hey..!" He called again, leaning off the bed slightly, but unable to make himself stand as he watched with unbridled hope and longing, as Taylors eyelashes flickered again.

"Hey, hey, hey!" He called, finally pushing to his feet as he ripped the curtain aside, skidding to the door before rushing back to Taylors side giddily, unwilling to leave such a distance between them _. "Hey, hey, hey!_  Someone get their professional ass in here! Move ya lazy carcasses!" He cried, glancing around desperately for something to draw the nurses attention, as the machine measuring his heart rate sped up by at least two beats. He caught sight of a large red button, and without thinking he slammed his palm to it, a loud buzzing filling the room as he sat on the edge of Taylors bed and clanged his phone against the railing loudly. "Hey, goddamn emergency over here! What the hell is takin' ya so lon-"

"Mr McKenzie!" A nurse roared, slamming into the room with a furious scowl, as Jake stared down at Taylor intently. "What on earth do you think you are doing?! And how did you manage to-"

"He moved!" Jake yelled, jabbing a finger accusingly at Taylors flickering eyelids. "He moved, he moved, he  _moved..!"_  He chanted excitedly, as understanding bled into the nurses expression, their gaze melting from furious to sympathetic. "Don't fuckin' look at me like that, he's fuckin' moving!" He swore, scowling at the nurse and gesturing again to Taylors creased brow.

"Mr McKenzie, I understand how it looks..." The nurse said calmly, as they liked down at Taylor briefly, before moving towards Jake. "But its not what you think, it's natural; every so often these things happen-"

"No, they fuckin'  _don't!"_  Jake growled, his gaze softening as he turned back to Taylor and sitting on the edge of his bed. "Not with  _him..._  Not  _today..."_  He whispered, desperately hoping his words proved true. He held his breath as the nurse sighed, turning to call for security to escort Jake out once again. "C'mon, Boy Scout... Don't do this to me..." He pleaded, clutching his hands as if they were his lifeline.

Taylors eyelashes flickered once more, before his brow smoothed, his eyes falling still beneath the lids once more. Jake felt his heart crumple as he shook his head slowly, disbelief weighing on him almost as much as the crushing disappointment. "Taylor?" He called, swallowing when his voice caught in his throat. "Taylor..." He tried again, reaching forward and cupping his cheek tentatively.  _"Taylor!"_  He pleaded, as the nurse returned.

"Please, Mr McKenzie, that is not going to achive anything. You know this..." The nurse sighed, gesturing for the security guard he'd found to remove Jake from the room. "You may return during visiting hours tomorrow, though I advise you calm down before then..."

"Go to hell, I ain't leavin' him now-" Jake snarled, scowling over at the nurse and discreetly eyeing the security guard briefly.

"C'mon, guy; let the pros do their jobs." The guard said, taking Jake by the elbow, only for Jake to whip his arm round and punch him in the face, knocking him back into a door with a predatory grin, as he slid to the floor.

"I said... I ain't leavin'." He said, eyeing the nurse determinedly. The nurse scowled, leaving the room to find more security without another word. Jake sneered after them, before his expression softened, returning to Taylor once more. He gazed at him longingly for a moment, his heart racing still as he slowly leaned closer.

"Come back, Taylor... To me. To  _us._  I know you're close and you can hear me, I know it, I can  _feel_  it... Please-" he jerked back suddenly, his eyes widening as he gazed down at the finger which twitched within his grasp. His gaze rose to Taylors eyes, as the lids slowly peeled apart, his heart stopping in his chest as deep blue orbs blinked open tiredly. "... holy shit... heh..." Jake choked, half hysterical as Taylor slowly frowned.  _"There's_  my sleeping beauty..." Jake huffed, his heavy relief palpable all around them, as he beamed a joyous smile down at Taylor. His heart raced, as Taylor blinked up at him tiredly, his head tilting slightly as he tried to focus.

"Wha-" he croaked, wincing in distress at the rough rasp which escaped him. He peered up at Jake again, and the pilots joyful grin faltered suddenly, at the lingering confusion in his gaze. "Who... are you..?"


	20. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cry... i cry...
> 
> Im gonna go hide in the end comments. 
> 
> x My love to you all x

**20.**

**Epilogue**.

Jake balked, jerking back as if Taylor had struck him similarly to how he'd struck the guard, his heart floundering wildly in his chest. He shook his head desperately, panic welling in his heart. He licked his lips, and blinked back tears, as Taylor began to huff a dry chuckle, his eyes alighting with tired amusement. "Should see your face... Top Gun. 'S priceless..." He hummed sleepily, as Jake's shoulders drooped in relief.

"You... evil little bastard..." Jake choked, his heart racing as he felt his eyes begin to burn, his tears barely blurring his vision before cascading over his cheeks. "You just scared the goddamn... Oh, you are never gettin' forgiven for that. Do you even know what I've been through, this past-"

"Hmm, I do." Taylor hummed sleepily, cutting the pilot off as he weakly reached for his cheek, brushing his fingers over the pilots stubble affectionately. "It's hard to explain... Kinda tired, to be honest..." He drawled, blinking up at Jake tiredly.

"You've slept for a goddamn year, you can damn well stay awake and let me look at you some more." Jake demanded, his breath hitching as Taylor huffed in amusement.

"I can't decide... If that was corny, or creepy." He snorted, his gaze softening as he gently urged Jake's cheek closer. "I can't actually bring myself to care either way though, so I'll let it slide this once..."

"Heh, mighty generous of ya, Boy Scout." Jake sniffed, his fingers running over Taylors cheek in disbelief, his heart thundering in his chest. "... Am I dreaming again?" He asked uncertainly, frowning suddenly as Taylor laughed quietly.

"You often have weird dreams about... hospitals?" He asked, glancing around hesitantly and frowning at his unfamiliar surroundings. "Wait, where the hell are we..?" He asked ina hoarse croak, his curiosity spiking when a nurse entered, shrieked upon seeing him awake, and rushed away to find a doctor.

"We're near the Hartfeld campus..." Jake murmured, his eyes locking with Taylors as his incredulous gaze returned to the pilot. "Malfoy made it possible, got me a place down the road too... I think they wanted to know you were close." He explained quietly, as Taylor blinked in surprise, his eyes glittering with tears as he drew in an unsteady breath. "Though they all suck compared to  _me,_  obviously... They only come during 'visiting hours'." He scoffed, smirking proudly as Taylor smiled sleepily.

 _"Hff,_  I have this feeling like you've been making a nuisance of yourself..." Taylor hummed in tired amusement, yawning as Jake clutched at him desperately. "But... how-?"

"Maybelline or someone can explain it to ya, I weren't listenin' to half of what was said at that point..." Jake said gently, pressing his forehead to Taylors and releasing a shuddering sigh. "Taylor, tell me this is real..." He pleaded in an urgent whisper.

"I thought we already had the dream conversation..." Taylor snickered sleepily, his eyelids fluttering as exhaustion quickly consumed him. "'S okay, Top Gun... If it is a dream, I'm dreaming too." He murmured, yawning quietly.

"No, no, no..." Jake whined, his face falling as Taylor struggled to keep his eyes open. "Don't leave me again now..!" He pleaded urgently, his tears turning bitter at the terror stricken thought of losing his lover again so quickly.

"Hmm, lay down wi'me..." Taylor slurred tiredly, shifting slightly to make room and weakly tugging Jake down to the bed beside him, resting his head on his pilots shoulder. He hummed as he heard Jake's racing heart beneath his ear, matching his own frantic pulse as he laced his fingers together with Jake's. "No more... living with the ghost of me..." He mumbled, before sleep claimed him into it's depths once more.

Jake groaned, burying his nose in Taylors hair and closing his eyes, his heart clenching in relief and hope. He held Taylor close through the night, and wept the first tears of joy he could remember, since they'd wed; a year and a day before.

The following day was a blur to Taylor, first being rudely awoken by doctors and nurses who prodded and poked and asked questions; before they finally kicked Jake from the room despite Taylors pleading and protests, simply for being protective of him. The pilot assured him he'd be back as soon as he was able, and that he would never be far, struggling against the security escorting him out as he tried to keep Taylor in his sights as long as he was possibly able.

By the time he'd finally been left alone, and his pilot had snuck back into his room, he was irritable and waspish; something which amused his pilot to no end. "These people are stupid, they spent fifteen minutes asking me about 'the last thing I remember' and then  _ignored_  everything I said!" He complained, leaning back on his pillows as Jake sat beside him, stroking the back of his hand with his thumb affectionately. "And I asked for  _food,_  not... mushed slop." He added petulantly, scowling as the plate of soft food they'd left him.

"You've been asleep a long time, Taylor... You can't expect to just jump back into your old life." He said, wincing when Taylor averted his eyes guiltily. "And to be fair,  _not_  that I'm defending 'em mind, 'cause you know how I feel about 'em; but, you told then the last thing you remembered was seeing the apocalypse melt away from the earth's surface... We'll be lucky if they don't send you to a padded room, rather than discharge ya."

"Fine, next time I lie; I'll choose something more appropriate. Like a cat licking itself." Taylor snarked, as Jake paused, looking over at him curiously. "What? I thought it'd be better than 'I remember having a fight with the spirit which stole my life force slash soul, trying to make it undo all the shitty things it had done'." He said waspishly, before sighing and taking a deep breath, his irritation abating as his expression turned pensive. "But I lost. I tried to make Vaanu undo everything it had done to you all, but I wasn't strong enough, and it tried to flee. I remember... falling. Floating, even... It's, hard to explain..." Taylor huffed, biting his finger, as he narrowed his eyes in concentration.

"When I fought Vaanu, when I resisted; it proved that at least some part of me, wasn't a part of it anymore, I hadn't... returned to where it had expected me to be." He tried to explain, as Jake sat quietly and let him speak, his eyes trailing over Taylors face gently as he frowned in frustration. "It stole all the empowerment you'd all given me, the warmth, the love, the friendship everyone felt for me; and that was enough to fill the hole I'd left... But, it just  _left_  me there. And I didn't know-" he choked, his heart clenching as he raised his eyes to Jake's, his pilots cerulean gaze still heavily tormented by everything he'd been through. "Jake... I didn't even know  _this,"_  he said, gesturing to the body which had been entirely unresponsive for the previous year. "Existed anymore... I didn't know how to, I don't know;  _move,_  doesn't seem the right word... I-"

"It's okay, Boy Scout..." Jake said thickly, sighing as he glanced away briefly, before raising Taylors fingers to his lips. "You did it. And I... I can deal with not knowing how, just so long as you stay..."

"Heh, well I can't see any friends rushing to steal me away so... I guess you're stuck with m-" he huffed with a childish pout, pausing when he noticed Jake's guilty grimace as the pilot averted his gaze. "What are you hiding..?" Taylor asked knowingly, narrowing his eyes as he curled his fingers around Jake's insistently. He watched Jake pause, saw the lie on the tip of his tongue, before the pilot sighed and gave in.

"Braintrust and Malfoy are gettin' hitched the day after tomorro-" he admitted, wincing when Taylor gasped, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "I, uh... I didn't tell 'em, as they're all... Ya know, preoccupied. That and they already flew over to-"

 _"What?!"_  Taylor yelped, sitting up sharply and wincing at the way his body protested the movement. "Oh, I am  _not_  missing this..." He growled, grimacing as he tried to wiggle his legs free of his covers, only for Jake to quickly restrain him.

"Taylor, don't be an idiot, ya can't go traipsi-" he scoffed, breaking off with a huff suddenly, as Taylor raised a brow at him expectantly. "No. No...  _No."_  Jake said firmly, shaking his head to reaffirm his words, as Taylor pouted at him.

"Aw, c'mon, Top Gun! You said it yourself, these guys are idiots!" Taylor protested, flopping back on his pillows tiredly. "You sneak in here all the time, you could get me out!"

"First off, I never said that;  _you_  did." Jake snorted, turning away from Taylors pleading expression. "And secondly,  _no_!" He said firmly, scowling at the far wall to avoid Taylors eyes. "I just got you back, Taylor, I'm not about to risk losin' ya again just to go crash some-"

"You must want to get me  _alone_  at least..." Taylor said suggestively, leaning forward as he abruptly traded tactics. "You could at least just get me outta here and back to yours... We could check everything on this body of mine is working properly."

Jake snorted, his gaze drifting back to Taylor in amusement. "Is that really the best argument you have? Sex?" He sighed, shaking his head in mock shame. "Oh ye of little faith... I just went a year without, I'm sure I can mana-"

"Yeah but, what if that's the key to making sure I stay..?" Taylor asked, grinning slyly as Jake's cocky expression faltered. "I mean, I could be wrong... But I feel pretty confident that its something we should definitely try." He said leadingly.

"No, no...  _No."_  Jake said, moving away from the bed and scrubbing his hand over his jaw distractedly. "No, okay?  _No_. You've been asleep a goddamn year-"

"Which, I really think means I am  _more_  than owed a little release here..." Taylor interrupted, pouting as he undid the lace of his gown over one shoulder, pulling the garment forward innocently to examine himself. "I mean... What if I'm defective now? I really think we need to test this thoroughly and find out. I'm talkin'  _extensive_  researc-"

"Jesus fucking Christ, he finally comes back and he's turned into a goddamn sex crazed fool..." Jake muttered, turning away as Taylor pouted at his back. "Taylor, you can't just go waltzin' around... You gotta rest, and let yaself get used to bein' awake again, let ya body recover..." He groaned, turning around with a tortured gaze, as Taylor huffed and looked away.

He grit his teeth as Jake sighed, slowly walking back over to the bed as Taylor petulantly picked at his sheets. "This place is making me crazy. I might not have been awake long physically, but Jake that isn't how it feels..." He said imploringly, peeking up as Jake gently took his hand again. "I know, its been hard for you... But, I just feel like I need to get the hell out of this stupid room! The people coming in, they don't know me, they look at me funny! I just... I want to not feel like I'm some sort of project. I want to feel like I'm really here, and to do that I need-"

"Somethin' other than me?" Jake asked, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice and looking away at Taylors wince.

"No..." Taylor said gently, reaching for the pilots cheek and encouraging him to meet his guilt ridden gaze. "I need  _all_  of you. Don't get me wrong Jake, I could live the rest of my life with you and no one else in the world... But, I need to just see them first; I need to see you,  _with_  them. To... to..." He swallowed, frustration welling in his gaze as he struggled to express himself accurately.

Jake sighed and slid from the bed again, restlessly pacing between the bed and the door as Taylor bit his lip and watched him with a pleading gaze. "No..." Jake muttered, shaking his head in irritation as he scowled and marched toward the door.  _"Godammit, no!"_  He growled, as Taylors heart lurched.

"Jake-" he called too late, as his pilot disappeared through the door. He sighed, falling back to his pillows with a huff, staring up at the ceiling with a faint frown _. The worst part is I can't even blame him... He's had the worst end of all this_. He thought, grimacing at his own compassion, wishing he could hold onto his irritation. _I could hear him at least, sense him... Even if I couldn't answer. He's had to cope with radio silence since_... He drew in a shaky breath as he forced the thought away, trying not to think of Vaanu and the spirits hasty retreat as soon as Taylor had shown himself to still be independent. He shuddered, wondering how much longer it might have taken to find his way back, if he ever even would have, if not for Jake's desperate pleas on their anniversary.  _He shone so brightly, and his pain was so raw... It was like a beacon._  Taylor thought, swallowing thickly as he recalled the already vague memories from his time lost, floating outside the earth. _I should probably just let him have this one... I can see the others as soon as the weddings over and they all come back. It's not like I'm going anywhere_... He thought, his heart surging with joy as he shook his head and looked down at his hands in disbelief.

Taylor jumped in surprise at a clank from his doorway, turning to see Jake stroll in casually with a wheelchair and baggy clothes he'd stolen from the physio department down the hall, an irritated scowl on his face. "Do  _not_  start thinkin' this means you're gonna get ya own way all the time..." He warned, tossing the clothes over Taylors face, as a delighted grin began to blossom on his face. "This is entirely about the sex." He said firmly, though the pink dashing his stubbled cheeks revealed his true feelings.

"Well then," Taylor huffed, pulling the physio clothes off his head and smiling at Jake brightly. "I'd say you just earned yourself the worlds best blow job..." He said, as Jake snorted and rolled his eyes towards him in reluctant amusement. "Just as soon as we're actually, you know... Out of here..." Taylor snickered, holding up the physio clothing with a raised brow. "Til then... little help?" He asked, grinning as Jake sighed and moved to help him.

Taylor bit his lip as he sat up, his face flushing hotter with every step closer his pilot took, until his cheeks were blazing beside Jake's chest. He watched his pilot intently, noticing the faint tremor in his fingers as he unlaced Taylors gown and allowed it to fall from his shoulders. "Hmm..." He hummed, looking down at the material pooled just above his waist briefly, before slowly raising his eyes to Jake's.

"Shut up, Taylor." The pilot muttered, already anticipating his smart remark. He swallowed thickly, as he pulled the baggy jumper over Taylors head, allowing him to feed his arms through the sleeves himself and to return his flower to his ear. The pilot paused and took a deep breath, before peeling away Taylors bed sheets and what remained of his gown.

Taylor felt himself flush deeper, as Jake hesitated for a brief pause. "You know..." Taylor said quietly, his fingers trailing up Jake's arm, as the pilot drew himself from his thoughts and began to help him into the baggy trousers. "You haven't even kissed me..." He said leadingly, his eyes flicking back up to his pilots suggestively, as Jake drew back and looked at him with an anguished gaze.

"... Last time I kissed you, you disappeared." The pilot said thickly, his eyes dropping to Taylors lips briefly, before returning to his eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I've wanted to do nothin' but, ever since your pretty little eyes opened again... But, a part of me is terrified I'll lose ya again if I do..." He confessed, his hand rising to Taylors burning cheek, as his heart melted for his pilot. "And... I can't handle that, Boy Scout... I  _can't-"_

"Jake..." He said, reaching for him, only for the pilot to catch his arm and carefully press a wad of his discarded gown to the needle of his drip, before carefully removing it.

"It's not ideal, but it'll do." Jake said gruffly, clearing his throat as he indiscreetly changed the subject. "Keep it pressed to that, while I get you in the damn chair." He ordered, and Taylor willingly obeyed, his thoughts consumed by his pilot and the lingering fears he felt. He watched Jake intently, as the pilot carefully lifted him and settled him in the wheelchair. "Just keep ya mouth shut and uh... ya might need to be ready to hold on."

"Yes, sir, Top Gun, sir!" Taylor said, saluting roughly as he discarded his gown, tossing it back towards the bed. Jake rolled his eyes and sighed, before pushing him out in the chair, walking confidently down the hall to the elevator.

Taylor looked around as Jake pressed the call button and waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive, his eyes roving over the busy staff and visitors passing by him curiously.  _If this body is real here... Does that mean my parents are?_  He wondered suddenly, his heart clenching as he vaguely recalled the warmth and kindness of the people he'd come to love, before Rourke had stolen them from him.  _If they haven't visited in a year, I don't think its likely... Perhaps its better to just, cherish the memory of them from that time_. He thought, shaking his head slightly as Jake walked them into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

"Why haven't you seen your family?" He asked suddenly, his expression turning concerned as he peeked up at Jake worriedly.

"How'd you-" Jake blurted, his gaze turning distant as he recalled all the time he'd spent over the year, recounting his days to Taylors inert form. "Hmm... Its complicated." He said finally, glancing down at Taylor as the elevator doors parted and allowed them to exit the box. "And no, its not because of yo-"

"Hey, I've got this great idea..." Taylor said with false cheer, glancing up at Jake before facing forward again. "Let's start fresh and not hide things from each other... I promised to always be honest with you." He said, his hand rising to his preserved flower. "I think its past time we started living by that."

"Heh, more than fine by me, Boy Scout." Jake huffed, as he walked them across the lobby with a fond grin. As the pilot walked them out the front doors, Taylor felt his heart skip a beat in excitement, gazing about the bustling world before him in awe.

 _This is real_... He though dizzily, his hand falling to his mouth as he stifled a gasp.  _This is really, the first day... of the rest of my life.._. He thought, knowing a wide and joyful grin was spreading across his face, but utterly unable to control it. "So..." He said, clearing his throat as he glanced back at Jake excitedly. "Where is it we're actually going?"

"Heh," Jake snickered, smirking adoringly, as he winked at him. "Wouldn't  _you_  like to know?" He leered, as Taylor giggled, his heart fluttering in his chest.

"Hey!" A voice called urgently from behind them, as a nurse came running out the hospital doors, just as a car pulled up to the curb before them. "You can't-"

"Watch me, Matron." Jake called back, saluting before opening the back door of the car and hurrying to lift Taylor into his arms, scooting into the back of the car sideways and hooking the door closed behind them. "Okay, get us outta here."

"You're bloody  _insane,"_  Mike scoffed, his eyes wide as he stared back at Taylor, who grinned and waved shyly. "What the hell did you do?"

"What do ya bloody think? I broke him out." Jake snarked, struggling to sit himself up from beneath Taylors added weight. "Why ain't we bloody well movin' yet?!" He demanded, as Mike groaned and faced forward, throwing the car into gear and quickly pulling away before the nurse or the security they'd called could reach them.

"You're insane, you're  _both_  insane! When the hell did he wake up anyway? How-" the other man quizzed, quickly making his way through the traffic on a route which he clearly knew well.

"How 'bout ya shut up and drive?" Jake growled, scowling at Taylor as he deliberately made himself heavier and sprawled himself over his pilot in the backseat. "And  _you..._  behave." He said, his words faltering somewhat as Taylor merely beamed a joyful smile at him, before resting his head on his pilots chest contently.

Taylor sighed, listening to Jake's heart as it thudded steadily below his ear, his own heart racing wildly in comparison; his body singing with the keen awareness of Jake's every curve and muscle beneath him. "Whatever you say, Top Gun..." He hummed, nuzzling his pilots chest affectionately, as Jake sighed and wrapped his arms around him. As Taylor felt himself begin to drift back into a sleepy haze, the car finally rolled to a halt. He hummed in protest as Jake sat him up slowly, his arms never moving from around him as he found his feet and carried Taylor to a comfortable seat, where he was able to fully sink into a restful sleep.

When he woke up, it was dark out, and the stars seemed much closer than they had any right to be.  _"No!"_  He cried, jolting upright and scrambling back in his chair, glancing around himself in a panic.

"Boy Scout?" Jake called, his voice heavy with concern as quick footsteps sounded along a narrow aisle behind him. "Hey, whats-"

 _"Jake!"_  He yelped, his arms curling around the pilots shoulders as Jake dropped down beside his seat, almost knocking him into the aisle.

 _"Whoa!"_  Jake gasped, grabbing the sear to steady them both, before carefully enfolding Taylor in his arms. "Ya shakin', what's the matter..?"

"I thought it took me back! Vaanu... I thought it was all a  _dream,_  I thought..." Taylor babbled, his eyes watering as he choked back a sob. "I... I thought-" he gasped, his desperate gaze rising to Jake's concerned one.

For a pregnant pause, neither moved, their eyes locked in the sense of grief they both felt at the thought of being separated once again. Finally Jake swallowed, breaking the spell which hovered over them, as he cleared his throat and gently chafed Taylors arms with his hands. "... I ain't never lettin' you go, Taylor." He said thickly, knocking their foreheads together lightly. "I didn't before, I won't now...  _Nothin'_  is gonna take you away from me again." He assured, as Taylor hiccupped nervously.

"I'm sorry..." He murmured, glancing around the cabin again and realising he was merely aboard a small private plane. "I just... I was facing the window, the stars, I... I overreacted."

"Nah," Jake huffed fondly, running his fingers through Taylors hair in a gsture of affection, soothing his frayed nerves. "Honestly, I've been drivin' Mike nuts, keep comin' to check ya still here every five minutes..."

"You've checked him every thirty five seconds, if that." Mike countered from the cockpit behind them, as Taylor bit his lip guiltily. "Hey, Kid, good to see ya again... Ya know, awake and shit."

Taylor chuckled, leaning around the edge of his seat to peek into the cockpit, smiling at Mike as he glanced back and flashed him a fond grin. "Good to see you're okay, Mike... And flying too, I'm impressed."

"Psh... Someone's gotta, what with Grandpa constantly dartin' back to check on you, like some sorta broken yo-yo." The pilot scoffed, grinning at Jake's betrayed scowl, before facing forward again.

"Ah, ignore him, he's just sore 'cause I'm the better pilot." Jake said, flashing Taylor a cocky grin, as Mike snorted loudly from the cockpit. "Seriously though... are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't think about-" Jake gestured out the window, swallowing heavily as the words abandoned him.

 _"Ahem..._  So, can I know where we're going yet?" Taylor asked, unsubtly changing the subject, though Jake seemed to jump on the new topic eagerly.

"Can't ya guess?" He asked, his amusement apparent as Taylor frowned and shook his head slowly. Jake's grin grew, as he leaned closer and allowed his lips to brush over the shell of Taylors ear. "What if I said... We were goin'  _home?"_  He whispered hesitantly, drawing back to find Taylors eyes had widened in surprise.

"You mean-" he choked, almost peeking out the window, before a nervous tickle ran up his spine, and he hurriedly faced his pilot again.  _"Really?"_  He asked, as Jake chuckled quietly at his surprise.

"They wanted to feel close to ya, I think... That, and they wanted Papa Smurf to be able to actually attend, without his dumbass trench coat..." Jake snorted, shaking his head fondly as he sat back on his haunches, gazing up at Taylor fondly.

"This is so surreal..." Taylor murmured, shaking his head as he shifted his weight and slowly swung his legs into the aisle.

"Whoa, whoa,  _whoa..._  Whaddaya think ya doin'?" Jake protested, resting his hands on his knees to prevent him trying to stand.

"Well, I was thinking that I see a bathroom door there, and I would; I dunno, go in?" Taylor snarked, scowling at Jake's uncertain expression. "Do  _not_  even think it. I am perfectly capable of-"

"But, ya can't seriously expect ya can just walk?" The pilot said, shaking his head as he gently rubbed Taylors legs. "Its bad enough ya convinced me to break ya out-"

 _"All_  I did was offer you sex." Taylor said dryly, smiling adoringly when Jake promptly ignored him.

"But ya can't just expect you're gonna be able to run around like ya used to..." Jake concluded, standing and reaching to carry Taylor to the bathroom.

"Hey, Handsy McKenzie, keep ya mitts off!" Taylor protested, slapping his hands away stubbornly. "Unless you're gonna manhandle me a lit-"

"Ya realise that technically applies to yaself?" Jake asked, his amusement clear as Taylor blinked in surprise.

"Huh... I guess it does." He hummed, his heart swelling with joy as his eyes drifted to the rings sitting atop Jake's dog tags. "It all seems like a beautiful dream now..."

"Hmm, maybe once ya recovered properly, we can refresh ya memory a little." Jake said gently, reaching for him again and curling his arm around Taylors waist.

"... I like that plan." Taylor said softly, gripping the back of his chair tightly and allowing Jake to help him to his feet. He gasped, his legs strangely heavy and unresponsive, as he shifted his weight and grabbed his pilots shoulders.

"Heh," Jake chuckled, his smug amusement apparent as he grinned at Taylor knowingly. "Ready to admit ya tryin' to run before ya can-"

"Shut up." Taylor groused, looking up at his pilot and pausing suddenly, his heart melting at the familiar joy in Jake's cerulean eyes. He felt his cheeks flare with heat, as Jake ran his eyes over him intently, silently helping him step forward and half carrying him to the bathroom. "I can manage from here..."

"Taylor, don't be stubborn." Jake said quietly, his hand lingering at Taylors hip, as he opened the door. "If ya need help, call me..." He said warmly, smiling softly as Taylor bit his lip and finally nodded, before shuffling inside to lean heavily against the wall.

He took his time refreshing himself, and when he was finally finished he called Jake to help him shuffle back to his seat.  _"Why_  was that so tiring? I  _just_  woke up!" He complained, as his drained body fell limp against the chair, a deep yawn escaping him. "Urgh, this is  _so_  unfair..!"

"Give it time, Boy Scout..." Jake hummed, sitting on the arm of his chair, as he ran his fingers through Taylors hair absently.

"I don't  _want_  to give it time!" He groused, scowling at his own legs with a sense of betrayal. "I want to walk where I damn well please and be able to show everyone that I'm not... not..." He paused, exhaling heavily as he finally glanced out his window. "Not  _broken..."_

 _"Nobody_  will think ya broken." Jake snorted quietly, scoffing at Taylors childish temper. "I can tell ya now, the only thing they're gonna think is that there's been some sorta miracle..."

"I still just wish I could do something, surprise them all, show them... I'm still  _me."_  Taylor pouted, staring out at the stars, despite the discomfort they made him feel. "I feel so different already, I just... wanted some familiarity."

"Taylor, you're gonna surprise the goddamn life outta 'em... Trust me." Jake snorted, frowning when Taylor sighed and turned to offer him a reluctant smile.

"I always trust you, more than anyone." He said, pouting as he peeked up at his pilot. "I don't suppose you'd be up for another round..?" He asked, as Jake snorted with amusement.

"If you can stand up, I'll help you as far as the cockpit and back." The pilot said, shaking his head at the joyful determination which lit Taylors eyes at his words.

"And then again later..?" Taylor asked, as he wiggled and successfully got his legs beneath him again with a pleased grin.

"And you say  _I'm_  the insatiable one..." Jake snickered, as Taylor swatted his shoulder, though he grinned in giddy joy at the tease.

"Well, we can test out who's most insatiable later..." He said, winking as Jake snorted in amusement. "But first, help me walk, Top Gun." He said, grimacing as his pilot helped him to his feet and to shuffle about the plane.

A large portion of the remainder of the flight, was spent with Taylor complaining whenever Jake forcibly made him rest, Mike laughing at the pair of them, as he flew the plane and Jake complaining that Taylor wasn't resting enough.

Finally Taylor grimaced, sighing as he laid down on his reclined chair with Jake and fought his heavy eyelids, frustration nipping at his temper. "This is stupid." He grumbled tiredly, as Jake swept his damp hair from his brow, watching him as he caught his breath and fought his exhaustion. "Someone changed the rules and made walking suddenly ridiculously difficult." He muttered petulantly, looking up at Jake pathetically.

"Just rest, Boy Scout..." The pilot said quietly, his fingers gently ghosting over Taylors jaw. "Get some sleep now, and maybe you'll have time again before we land. But even if not, you can always do a lap around the room once I check us in..."

"Where we stayin'?" Taylor hummed tiredly, turning his face into Jake's affectionate gesture and brushing his lips over the pilots fingers quickly.

"Heh, I got somewhere in mind..." Jake murmured softly, smiling as Taylors heavy eyelids finally won out over his willpower and determination, slipping shut as he reluctantly drifted to sleep. The pilot felt his heart clench in fear briefly, before recovering as Taylor sleepily reached for his hand and held it beneath his cheek, the small gesture enough to reassure him that Taylor wouldn't be stolen by another endless sleep.

"C'mon, Grandpa, stop starin' like a dope and let him sleep..." Mike called gently from the cockpit, as Jake smiled at Taylors sleepy sound of protest. "I need ya help with landin', and he ain't goin' anywhere."

"Never bloody know with him..." Jake murmured darkly, carefully freeing his hand and moving to get up from Taylors reclined seat. He paused, turning back to shut the blind and prevent Taylor being distressed again should he wake, throwing his husband a final nervous glance, before moving away to help his friend land the plane.

Taylor whined as he noticed the lack of warmth from his pilot, rolling onto his side and trying to curl into the space Jake had previously occupied. He was vaguely aware of quiet voices, and half turned towards them in his unsettled sleep.

"So, ya gonna tell me what the hell happened?" Mike asked as Jake sat in the co-pilot seat, flipping switches and twisting dials between glances back toward Taylor. "Not that I'm complainin', you know I'm just tickled pink he's awake and annoying the crap outta ya already but...  _How?"_

"Wish I could tell ya..." Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair distractedly. "Honestly, I'm past carin'. I just... I can't help but think this is all some big prank, and I'm gonna wake up any minute to find he's still-" he admitted nervously, scrubbing his hand over his jaw briefly, before glancing back down the aisle again. "I'm half scared to touch him most of the time, but the other half of me wants nothin' more than to..." He sighed, grabbing his yoke with both hands and gripping it tight enough to turn his knuckles white. "Mike... what the hell am I gonna do, if I lose him again?" He asked brokenly, looking over at Mike with such an open fear in his eyes, that Mike had to turn away from his gaze.

The pilot was silent for a long pause, carefully considering his choice of words. "To be truly alive, is to never know what's comin', Grandpa..." He said slowly, turning back to Jake with a serious expression. "Somethin' could happen tomorrow, where one of you loses the other permanently... You had a taste of that, and ya didn't deal with it; ya didn't face it. Whether, it was 'cause ya still had a piece of him to cling to... I dunno, but ya gotta accept that the both of ya are entirely mortal now, and there's no time loops anymore." He said, taking a deep breath as Jake's tormented gaze turned back towards Taylor. "You might well lose him, one day. Or he might lose you... But ya can't spend ya whole life worryin' about it, Grandpa, else you're gonna forget to live with him. Don't let this second chance slip by ya, 'cause i guarantee; you won't get another."

Taylor hummed in sleepy agreement from his chair, vaguely deciding that this Mike was someone he could like, as his consciousness ebbed into the darkness of exhaustion. He slept for the remainder of the flight, and through the landing, finally waking when Jake made to pick him up. "Hey, McHandsy McKenzie..." He mumbled, slapping Jake's hands away sleepily. "Five more minutes..." He complained, as Jake slid his hands beneath him and picked him up despite his weak resistance. "I can walk just fine..." He protested, finally waking enough to scowl at his pilot.

"Sure ya can, Boy Scout." Jake snorted, gazing down at him in obvious relief, affection and amusement. "If ya wanna take another nap, already." He added, huffing an easy chuckle, as Taylor grumbled but still locked his arms about the pilots neck.

"Stupid, smug Top Gun." He muttered, glaring down at his own legs with a betrayed expression. "And stupid  _legs."_  He added petulantly, feeling his cheeks flush with heat as Mike began to laugh quietly.

"Give it time, little Phoenix." The pilot said over Jake's shoulder, shrugging at Taylors rising brow over his new nickname. "You'll be runnin' into trouble again in no time."

"No, he bloody won't, stop givin' him ideas." Jake growled, scowling at Mike as they disembarked. "You're supposed to be on  _my_  side." He added childishly, his scowl deepening when Mike laughed.

"It's more entertaining, bein' on his side." He snorted, bumping his fist to Taylors shoulder fondly, before backing away to find a shuttle to take them to the hotel. "Makes you even grumpier, Grandpa."

"Shut up, Mike." Jake snarked, scowling at his friends amusement, as Taylor grinned and gazed up at his pilot adoringly. "And  _you,_  don't even start." He added, narrowing his eyes at Taylor knowingly.

"Hey, I'm just here for the ride." He snickered, waving his eyebrows suggestively as Jake snorted and turned to look after Mike. He studied his pilot as they waited, noticing the tangles within Jake's hair, as well as the dark shadows trying to form beneath his eyes. He frowned guiltily, his eyes travelling over Jake intently as Mike approached in a small cab.  _He really hasn't been living much..._  He thought sadly, as Jake approached the cab and carefully managed to wriggle their way into the back. "You know, this is the second time we've been in the backseat of a vehicle, and you haven't manhandled me  _at all_  in either..." Taylor huffed in mock offence, turning to look out his window as Jake rolled his eyes and Mike burst out laughing.

"Shut up." Jake groused, his cheeks staining pink as Mike drove them along the dark track towards the hotel. Taylor watched the scenery crawl past, his eyes wide as he tried to pick out the all too familiar landmarks he knew they'd be passing. His heart raced as Mike drove them up the path, realising they were headed right back to where everything had truly begun for them.

"... I remember the first time we walked up here together..." Jake hummed quietly, and Taylors turned to see the pilot watching him curiously, a small smile on his lips. He took Taylors hand in his own gently, stroking his thumb over the back of his hand. "You sulked the entire way."

"I did  _not."_  Taylor replied hotly, before giggling guiltily. "Well, not entirely. I felt like I'd done something wrong..." He admitted, as Jake shifted closer towards him, drawing him into his side as he wrapped his arm about Taylors shoulders.

"Nah, I was freaked out how easy it happened, and how good it felt..." Jake said, snorting as he looked down at Taylors hand and pointedly laced their fingers together, before slowly raising his eyes to Taylors. "It'd been a long time since I touched anyone, in any way... And you just, breezed straight past every defense I ever put up."

"Pretty poor defenses there, Top Gun..." Taylor teased, grinning lopsidedly at Jake's soft snort of amusement. "I mean, all it took was a few pretty lights in the sky to distract you..."

"The lights were just a sideshow," Jake huffed, shaking his head as he ran his eyes over Taylor seriously and touched his cheek with his fingertips. "You were...  _are,_  breathtaking."

 _"Jaaake..!"_  Taylor muttered, shoving the pilots shoulder lightly as he blushed, heat suffusing his cheeks as he averted his eyes, Jake's intent gaze making his insides squirm. "You're so-"

"Cheesy." Mike interjected with a scoff, laughing as Jake glared at him for his interruption. "What, that was corny enough to go in one of those stupid rom coms your sister used to make me watch..."

"Hey, nobody invited you to this conversation." Jake snarked, scowling as Mike snorted with laughter again at his irritation.

"Oh..." Taylor gasped, pulling away from Jake's side as he leaned toward his window, his eyes widening as Mike pulled up to the entrance way of the hotel, parking in a reserved shuttle bay. "Wow...  _How-?"_

"I brought you down from the roof... found you just before the building collapsed on itself." Mike explained quietly, as Jake stared at their linked hands in sudden, stony silence. "Hedwig rebuilt it, somethin' about a tribute? Though I dunno how, 'cause-"

"It's my Hadean star sign..." Taylor breathed, gazing up at the building in awe, as its name glittered like starlight.  _"Andromeda..."_  He turned to look at Jake in wide eyed surprise, the pilot shifting awkwardly as he tried to avoid looking up at the glowing lights of the buildings sign, far too close to the rooftop for his liking.

"Like I said, I ain't the only one missed ya, Boy Scout." He said gruffly, clearing his throat as he tipped his chin towards Mike. "Make yaself useful and go grab the keys, tell 'em I'm already takin' the 'luggage' up." He said, a cocky smirk returning to his face as he winked at Taylor.

"Did you just refer to me as your luggage?" Taylor demanded, scowling as Jake snorted and opened his door to get out of the car. Taylor simmered as Jake walked around the car, opening Taylors own door and crouching to pick him up. "You know sometimes you're so sweet, and other times I just wanna wallop you for being such an ass."

"Gotta keep ya on ya toes, Boy Scout." Jake said, winking as Taylor rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around his pilots neck. He leaned his cheek against Jake's shoulder, hiding his smile from the pilot as Jake lifted him from the car and walked around to a side entrance, walking straight into a waiting elevator and pressing the penthouse button. Taylor peeked up at Jake, noticing the pilots stiff shoulders, as they rose higher through the building, until finally the doors pinged open at the correct floor.

Mike was already waiting, a smirk on his lips as he bowed and made a grand gesture towards a waiting open door. "Room for two?" He snickered, winking at Taylor as they passed, before crossing the hall to his own room.

Taylor was about to reply, when he caught sight of a plaque beside the room awaiting them, and he gasoed as felt his heart clench in affection for his friends. "The Taylor McKenzie suite?" He scoffed, burying his heating face in Jake's throat as the pilot snickered softly. "This is so beyond embarrassing..." He protested, though he trailed off to a stunned silence as Jake walked him in and closed the door with his heel. "This..."

"Name's just for show really, suite is reserved for me...  _Us."_  Jake said, quickly correcting himself as he squeezed Taylor closer to his chest. The pilot twisted to lock the door quickly, before slowly moving further into the suite, as Taylor looked around in awe. "Just incase ya ever doubted how much ya meant to everyone... This was just, a little tribute, I guess. I dunno, I never understand how Malfoy works..."

Taylor wriggled in his pilots hold, squirming until Jake finally relented and carefully lowered his feet to the floor, allowing Taylor to grip his arms to steady himself. "I..." Taylor breathed, gazing around the perfect recreation of his old suite, as tears pricked his eyes.  _"Oh..."_  He huffed, a hand covering his mouth slightly, as he ran his eyes over the familiar tree in the centre of his room; the lush sofas and the bed where he'd spent many a year sleeping beside Jake, in an endless summer future.

"You okay, Boy Scout?" Jake murmured, as Taylor sniffed and nodded his head, his heart radiating a deep sense of love and warmth for his friends.

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, scrubbing his eyes quickly with the back of his hand, before turning towards Jake with a beautiful, bright smile. "Yeah. Just... I guess you could say, I'm realising how lucky I am." He said, his eyes meeting Jake's intently, as his heart swelled with affection.

"Heh..." Jake laughed quietly, letting his head tip forward, knocking his forehead to Taylors lightly. "Me too." The pilot hummed, closing his eyes in contentment at Taylors close proximity.

Taylor ran his eyes over Jake's peaceful expression, drinking in the new creases and wrinkles which had begun to form, biting his lip guiltily as he realised that they were from the stress of their separation. "Jake..." He murmured, his fingers trailing over the pilots cheek lightly, before rising to thread gently into his hair and ease free some of his tangles. "We're gonna have to do something about this... Give it a good brush, and a wash before you go to the ceremo-"

"Taylor... I'm terrified of bein' here with you again." Jake said quietly, swallowing heavily as he shocked Taylor into silence, causing him to stare at his pilot sadly. "I ain't been back here since... Seen the pictures, knew what they'd done, but..." He said, his voice trembling as he sighed and squeezed his eyes shut tighter. "I'm  _scared,"_  he admitted thickly, as Taylors heart clenched for his pilot. "That I'll open my eyes... and you won't be here..."

Taylor closed his eyes at the broken confession, guilt eating at him as he slowly ran his hands over Jake's shoulders. "You feel this?" He asked quietly, squeezing gently, before moving his hands below his jacket, pushing it from Jake's shoulders as he slowly opened his eyes again.

Jake hesitated, before nodding slightly, his own hands curling around Taylors upper arms as Taylor trailed his hands over Jake's chest, drawing meaningless patterns across his t-shirt. "And this..? He asked, receiving a similar nod, as he moved his hands higher, shuffling closer to Jake as he ghosted his fingers across his throat to his stubbled jaw. "This?" He whispered, trailing his fingers into Jake's hair and brushing it gently from his face.

Jake swallowed thickly, his hands drifting to the small of Taylors back as he held him close, and Taylor felt the pilots heart thundering in pace with his own; as he pressed himself snugly against his pilot. "I'm  _here..."_  He breathed, his lips brushing against the shell of Jake's ear briefly, before drifting lower to press a kiss to his throat. "I'm  _real..."_  He said, lathering his pilots throat with soft, feathered kisses. "And I'm never,  _ever..._  leaving your side again..."

Jake's arms tightened around Taylor, his shoulders shaking briefly, before he drew back and opened his eyes slowly; his piercing gaze filled with a deep joy, as he recalled the words from their time on the island. "Taylor..." He choked, shaking his head slowly as Taylor smiled softly, chuckling at his pilots awe. Finally, the pilot swallowed, clearing his throat as he managed to blink away his emotional display. "We uh, we should get you some more sleep..." He said, moving to guide Taylor across the room, when Taylor grabbed his wrists to stop him moving.

"... I'm not tired." He said slowly, looking up at Jake intently, as he felt a flare of desire curl through his gut. "I can't sleep anymore yet..." He added pointedly, peeking through his lashes at Jake, as the pilot swallowed thickly once more.

"Is, uh... is that so?" Jake hummed awkwardly, glancing away as Taylor trailed his fingers of one hand over the pilots shoulder and down his side, slipping beneath the hem of his t-shirt to caress his firm abs. "I'm sure you'd manage, if ya tried... Or, uh, did you want me to run ya a bath? Get ya somethin' to eat..?" He offered weakly, falling silent as Taylor slowly but firmly shook his head.

"Jake..." He murmured, his free hand cupping his cheek as he net his gaze determinedly. "I'm not going anywhere... I'm not gonna break..." He assured quietly, leaning as close as he was able, and tipping his chin towards the pilot hopefully.

Jake hesitated, gazing down at Taylor longingly, though uncertainty clouded his clear gaze. "Taylor, I couldn't stand it if I lost you agai-"

"You  _won't."_  Taylor promised, gently drawing Jake's face closer to his own. His lips brushed Jake's briefly, softly caressing them before pausing, his eyes locked with his pilots as he gave him the chance to pull away if he truly wasn't ready.

For an intense heartbeat, neither moved, staring intently as they communicated without words; their fears, their hopes, their reassurances. Finally, Jake's hesitance melted, and he closed the distance between them to press his lips to Taylors, his relief palpable as Taylors body sang with joy at the pilots touch.

 _"Mmmm..."_  Taylor hummed, relishing the pilots show of unhurried affection, his heart swelling until he thought it might choke him. His eyes overflowed with tears of joy, imagining an entire life filled with the love of his pilot. His lips tingled against Jake's, his fingers curling into his t-shirt as desire spread through him, a slow fire lit by his pilots overwhelming kiss.

Taylor yelped briefly as Jake swept him into his arms, before he melted into the pilots next kiss, his heart soaring as Jake walked them to the bed and gently laid Taylor down, before tentatively laying beside him. "We shouldn't..." He warned quietly, only for Taylor to grin and arched closer to his pilot.

"We  _should."_  He countered, returning his lips to Jake's as the pilots weak protests died. His arms enfolded Taylor snugly, his hands caressing him through the baggy physio clothing he'd stolen for him, as Taylor slowly peeled away the pilots t-shirt. He paused at a clink, drawing back to trail his fingers over the rings on Jake's chain, before he leaned forward into another deep, unhurried kiss. His heart swelled, racing with desire and longing as his hands caressed Jake's bare skin, his fingers tracing each delicate contour of his body.

He sighed blissfully, as Jake began to trail butterfly kisses along his jaw, his stubble tickling at the fleeting touch of his lips against Taylors skin. He arched against Jake, feeling heat pool in his groin, blood creeping to his slowly awakening cock; as unhurried as Jake's affectionate kisses. "Hmm..." He hummed, biting his lip as he bared his throat to Jake, allowing him to lather the area with hot kisses which made his fingers curl tightly into the pilots arms.  _"Jake-"_  he gasped, as the pilots hands finally peeled his jumper free, allowing the air to cool his rapidly overheating torso. "Oh..." He sighed, smiling as Jake dipped his head and kissed a path along his collarbone, simultaneously urging Taylor to his back and rolling over him.

"You..." Jake murmured, his lips barely leaving Taylors body, as he crawled backwards, content to smother Taylors body in the affection it had been starved of over the past year. "Are  _ridiculously_  hot..."

Taylor huffed a breathless laugh, his heart light and flooded by warmth, as he recalled the first night they'd spent together. "Less talking..." He hummed, smiling radiantly as Jake looked up at him with a grin. "More kissing!" He giggled, his fingers threading into Jake's hair.

"... Wouldn't you like that?" Jake huffed, pulling away as Taylor raised his hips expectantly, as his pilot ran his hands slowly along Taylors thighs; pausing to squeeze his ass briefly, before hooking his fingers into the waistband of his baggy trousers.

"Yes." Taylor huffed, biting his lip as Jake slowly peeled his remaining clothing over his legs, discarding them over his shoulder without a glance. "Taylor would like that very much.  _Now,_  please." He whined, shivering as Jake's fingers teasingly ghosted their way up his sides, his pilot content to kiss every inch of Taylor which he'd been deprived of.

"I think there's this sayin'..." Jake teased, humming appreciatively as Taylors body reacted beneath his hot, open mouthed kisses. "Patience is a virtue..?"

"I've been re-virginised... Patience can kiss my-" Taylor gasped, arching against Jake as his pilot laughed quietly and kissed his inner thigh, the area overly sensitive after such a long respite. "Or even better idea,  _you_  could..!" He whined, rocking his hips upwards and biting his lip in frustration, as Jake deftly avoided kissing Taylors cock.

"That's not a word..." Jake snorted, drawing back to gaze down at Taylor fondly, his eyes hungry as they ran over Taylor in near disbelief. "And I'm pretty sure it also ain't possible, even for  _you,_  Boy Scout."

"You said this body was a,  _mmm..._  remnant of Rourke's suck ass future, right?" Taylor murmured, squirming as Jake's fingers ghosted over his thigh. "I never had sex there. So by that logic-"

"You're  _such_  an idiot." Jake snorted, grinning as he shook his head at Taylors babbling, leaning down again to lightly trace his tongue over Taylors cock.

"Ah!" Taylor hissed, his hips rising as a blistering curl of heat swept through his gut.  _"Jaaaake!_  C'mon, this is so-"

"You even  _think_  the word unfair and I'll stop entirely..." Jake warned, his eyes rising to meet Taylors as he kissed the throbbing shaft lightly, his fingers gliding between the cleft of Taylors ass to stroke teasingly over his entrance.  _"You_  should still be in hospital..." He drawled, flicking his tongue across the head of Taylors cock, as he pressed a finger into his ass. "You should  _not_  have been tryin' to walk..." He hummed, as he dragged his finger over Taylors prostate, making him squirm and whine beneath him. "You  _definitely..._  should  _not_  be doing  _this..."_  The pilot added gruffly, his eyes dipping to Taylors ass as he slid another finger into him.

"If you stop, so help me, I'll do worse than damn well walk around a little..." Taylor cursed, arching as Jake worked his body into a writhing tangle of limbs, his heart racing as his pilot teased him mercilessly. "Please...  _please, Jake_... pleas-"

"I should make you wait all year for what you put me through..." Jake said thickly, hooking his fingers and trailing them over Taylors prostate, who cried out as pleasure flared through him like wildfire. "Not be... givin' in and lettin' you get everything you ask for." He said, lowering his mouth to ghost his lips over Taylors cock. "The least you can do... is let me make you suffer at least a little..."

"Trust me, Top Gun, you are... You are,  _you are._.!" Taylor protested, arching with a loud cry, as Jake finally stopped talking and wrapped his lips around the head of his cock. "Oh god..!" He moaned, attempting to thrust his cock deeper into Jake's mouth, while also trying to rock himself back onto the pilots fingers; utterly frustrated when he was unable to satisfy himself.  _"Jaaaake!"_  He complained, his fingers curling tightly into the pilots hair as Jake sucked his hard shaft at a torturously slow and gentle pace.

Jake hummed, and Taylor gasped at the vibrations which rocketed through his sensitive cock, squirming more urgently as he felt the heat in his gut flare, flickering through him like a tidal wave of fire. "Okay,  _okay,_  I get it; Taylor bad, very,  _very bad!"_  He babbled, desperately tugging at Jake's hair as he watched his pilot torture him with bliss through heavy lidded eyes. "I promise I'll behave! I promise I'll never scare you like that again! Just, please Jake,  _please..!"_  He pleaded, groaning as Jake pulled away from his cock.

"You sound so pretty beggin'..." Jake murmured, and Taylor whined as he rocked himself against Jake's fingers, before they too disappeared, leaving him frustrated and distraught. "I'm tempted to actually just leave you like this..."

"You do and I'll make you regret it, Top Gun." Taylor warned, scowling at the top of Jake's head, as the pilot kissed his way over Taylors stomach to his chest; pausing to graze his nipple with his teeth, as Taylor whined and arched beneath him.  _"Jaaaake..."_  He complained, his hands reaching for the pilots belt, now that he'd climbed high enough over him.

"Hmm..." Jake hummed, and Taylors scowl deepened as he felt the pilots smug grin pressed against his collarbone. He squirmed as he unbuckled Jake's belt, quickly undoing his trousers and trying to shove them over his hips. "In a hurry there, Boy Scout?" The pilot chuckled, his lips drawing shivers from Taylor, as he smothered his throat in affectionate kisses. "All... hot and bothered..?"

"I'm  _so_  pleased you're enjoying yourself." Taylor said waspishly, giving up on removing Jake's trousers and instead delving his hand beneath the pilots underwear and biting his lip, as he curled his fingers around Jake's cock. "You know  _damn_  well what you're doing to me..." He groused, leaning forward to nip his pilots shoulder, as he arched and hooked his leg over his waist. He stroked Jake's cock slowly, as his pilot shuddered over him, sighing as he relished the feel of Taylors hand on him once more.

"Hmm, you deserve so much worse than what you're getting..." Jake mumbled, his lips brushing over Taylors ear as he shucked off his trousers and underwear, kicking them from the bed uncaringly. "You really shouldn't be complaining so much..."

"I'll stop complaining just as soon as you-" Taylor promised, silencing abruptly as Jake covered his mouth with his own. Taylor squirmed, feeling his heart thunder in his chest, perfectly in sync with his pilots where they pressed themselves snugly against each other. "Jake-" he pleaded between his pilots languid kisses, grasping his pilots hand and lowering it to his cock, urging him closer as he rocked his hips towards him.  _"Please,_  Jake..."

Finally Jake conceded, lowering his body to Taylors and guiding his cock to his ass, his forehead resting against Taylors as he slowly eased himself into his lover.  _"Godammit..._  I let you win too damn easy..." He groaned, as Taylor gasped and squirmed with pleasure.

"I'd hate to see you being  _hard_  on me, if you think that was easy..." He breathed, as Jake sank deeper into him, pausing to capture his lips in a deep and unhurried kiss.

Taylor felt his heart melt, his body molding itself to Jake's as his pilot moved slowly within him, intent to draw the night out and lavish Taylors body with the pleasure they'd both been denied for so long.  _"Mmm..."_  He hummed, cupping Jake's cheek as his pilots tongue stroked gently against his own, his hips rocking with a slow consistency which had Taylors thoughts scattering, his focus narrowing to his pilot and the way Jake's skin seemed to burn against his own.

 _"Taylor-"_  Jake murmured, his breath a cool contrast against Taylors scorching skin, as he moved to kiss his throat hungrily. Taylor grasped as Jake brushed against his prostate, the nerves alighting with fresh waves of pleasure which had him pleading, squirming and arching desperately beneath his lovers torturously slow pace.

"Don't stop..." Taylor muttered, tugging Jake's hair to guide the pilots mouth back to his own, his heart crashing against his chest as his body swam with pleasure. "Never..." He murmured, his lips brushing against Jake's, as his body moved in sync with his pilots; their slow bliss building a deep swell of heat and desire in his gut. "...  _never..."_  He breathed, arching closer to Jake as the pilot sealed their lips in a deep kiss, his fingers curling loosely around Taylors cock, slowly stroking him to a higher rush of pleasure.

"I love you, Taylor..." Jake murmured, as Taylor gasped and threw his head back against the pillows, his pilot driving him to an intense climax which left his body quivering and clamping tighter around his pilot where they joined.

 _"J-ah_! Jake..!" Taylor panted, squirming as his over sensitised body pulsed with blissful joy, holding his pilot close as Jake stilled over him; who shuddered as his own body found release, buried deep within Taylor.  _"Jake..."_  He murmured, cupping his pilots face and drawing him into a brief, gentle kiss. "I love you too." He hummed, as Jake knocked their foreheads together, content in their intimacy.

"... I gotta admit," Jake finally huffed, several lazy kisses later, after they'd caught their breath.  _"That_  was worth waiting for..."

"Oh?" Taylor giggled, trailing his fingers over Jake's shoulders in nonsensical patterns. "That mean you wanna wait a year to have sex again?" He asked with a knowing grin, snickering when Jake bit his shoulder.

"Not a goddamn chance." The pilot scoffed, his teeth nipping playfully at Taylors throat. "You'll be lucky if I don't wake you up again in an hour..."

"What happened to 'we shouldn't'?" Taylor snickered, humming contently as Jake continued to lay affectionate, scratchy kisses along his neck.

"Hmm, already happened and you're fine. Seems kinda pointless holdin' back now..." Jake mumbled, gently withdrawing from Taylor and rolling to lay beside him, allowing Taylor to wriggle close and curl into his embrace.

"Good. Because I admit, I wasn't exactly looking forward to having to convince you again in the morning..." Taylor said, laughing quietly when Jake snorted and jabbed him in the rib gently.

"We got time, Boy Scout..." Jake murmured, pressing a light to the back of Taylors head, as he wriggled and laid his head on Jake's shoulder.

"Hmm... I guess we have at that." Taylor hummed contently, an uncontrollable smile blossoming on his face even as he yawned. "Hey, can we start the house after the wedding..? Unless, you don't wanna stay here anymore... I mean, I'd understand-"

"Sounds good, Boy Scout." Jake murmured, his hand caressing Taylors back gently. "But, ya know it doesn't have to be here now..? Can be wherever ya want..."

"Hmm..." Taylor hummed, wriggling closer to Jake and burying his face in the pilots chest, as his exhaustion began to catch up to him; nipping at his consciousness. "So long as  _you're_  there..." He mumbled, sighing as his eyes slid closed. He was vaguely aware if Jake's amused chuckle, before he found himself unavoidably drifting into a deep sleep.

When Taylor next opened his eyes, it was to a familiar burst of sunlight through his window, and he smiled joyfully as he recalled the previous evening. "Hmm, you ready for round two, Top Gun? 'Cause I-" Taylor paused, noticing the cold sheets beside him, which indicated he'd been alone in the bed for some time.  _No..!_  He thought, sitting up quickly as he panicked, terrified he was locked in the endless summer once more and had simply dreamed of their freedom. He yelped in surprise, at the sudden pain which briefly flared through his ass.

"Heh, got ya good this time, huh?" Jake drawled from the doorway, snickering as he closed the door with his heel, a small plate with what could only be an original Raj creation in his hand. "What's wrong, you look like you just saw a ghost..." He said, frowning as he approached to find Taylor staring at him in obvious relief.

"... Nothing." Taylor said, wincing as he carefully shifted his weight and sat back against the headboard, reaching for his pilot as he sat beside him on the bed. "I was just being an idiot, like always. I panicked when the sheets were cold, thought I'd dreamt up everything and was actually still stuck in the endless summer future I trapped us in-"

"Hey, you didn't trap anyone anywhere..." Jake said, cutting him off as he gently stroked his cheek with his thumb. "There was a choice to make, and ya chose... Personally, I'd have rather ya chose that a second time. Thought of an eternity with you is, honestly kinda perfect to me, especially after the time we lost... And how I almost lost so much more than that..." He admitted, collecting Taylors hand in his own and raising it to his lips. "But... Ya here now. That's all that matters." He said firmly, averting his eyes as he swallowed thickly.

Taylors heart melted, guilt gnawing at him as he watched his pilot try to convince himself of his own words "Jake... I'm so sorry. I wish there'd been another way... I wish I hadn't put you through all that, but-"

"I know, Boy Scout... I know." Jake said, clearing his throat before finally looking back at Taylor longingly. "I get it. I don't agree with it, and I wish more than anything, that I hadn't lost all this time with ya... But I'd rather have lost a year, than lost ya entirely." He said, sighing as he held Taylors hand a moment longer, before shaking his head and suddenly seeming to remember the breakfast he'd appropriated for him.

"Hey, Grandpa... 'Lil Phoenix, you in here?" Mike's voice called from the doorway, the ex-soldier walking in without invitation, pushing a wheelchair. "Ya know, you should keep this locked if ya plannin' a big surprise, Kid." He said, before finally catching sight of the pair and grinning. "Oh, did I interrupt? Do tell me again Grandpa, about how ya not gonna-"

"Shut up, Mike." Jake groused, handing the plate to Taylor before moving over to his friend, as Mike stood and smirked at them from beside the couch. "What the hell is this for, anyway?" He asked, kicking the wheelchair as Taylor tentatively bit into the strange pastry he'd been given, breaking into a radiant grin at the delicious textures and flavours which only his friend could have combined.

"Well, you ain't exactly gettin' any younger, Grandpa..." Mike began, as Taylor snorted with laughter, choking on his pastry briefly as Jake turned to scowl at him. "So, I figured you wouldn't be carryin' him everywhere... Seemed like I was bein' helpful and considerate, but if ya want me to put it back then by all means, just say the word. Mr; I'm not gonna let him overdo it or get his own way all the time..."

"Ya know, I think I like you in this timeline..." Taylor snickered, biting into his pastry again as Jake turned with a threatening finger pointed his way.

"One more word outta you, and there ain't gonna be a round two this side of the New Year..." He warned, only for Taylor to pout as he set his plate aside.

"Well, if you're gonna be like  _that,_  maybe I'll just ask  _Mike_  to help me walk to the bathroom..." Taylor sniffed, wiggling his way across the bed, only to yelp when he shifted his weight wrong.

"Ya ain't dressed." Jake reminded him with a frown, as Mike began to laugh knowingly.

"Well,  _someone_  had a good night last night..." He snorted, as Taylor grinned at him and snickered fondly. The ex-soldier moved towards the bed, grabbing Taylors discarded trousers along the way and tossing them at his head. "Put them on so Grandpa doesn't have a hernia..." He said, turning to Jake with a grin as his friend scowled back at him.

"Don't even  _think_  about lookin-" Jake groused petulantly, only for Mike to burst out laughing.

"I ain't in the  _least_  interested in lookin' at ya husband, Grandpa." He snorted, shaking his head as he continued to laugh quietly. "I'd sooner keep what's left of me intact." He huffed in amusement, as a knock sounded on the door.

"Hey, Jake?" Diego's voice sounded through the door, and Taylor froze in the middle of swinging his legs from the bed, staring at the door in sudden longing. "You in there? I saw you'd checked in and just... Can you let me in please? I really hate talking to this door, I feel so stupid..."

Taylor smiled softly, biting his lip as he thought about Diego's reaction to seeing him. His expression slowly faded to a frown however, as he looked down at his legs and imagined how his friend would focus on his weakness. "Mike..." He called quietly, lowering his feet and reaching for the ex-soldier, who frowned as he watched Taylors flickering emotions. "Mike, help me, please... Jake, just... make him go  _away."_  He said, sniffing as he felt tears of shame sting in his eyes.

"Taylor-" Jake called gently, frowning at Taylors reaction and moving towards him, only for Taylor to shake his head insistently.

 _"Please,_  Jake." He said, turning towards Mike as he approached, and swallowing heavily as the ex-soldier offered to carry him. He paused only briefly, before shifting into the other mans arms and allowing him to pick him up, hiding his face in Mike's shoulder as the ex-soldier shared a concerned glance with Jake, before carrying him to the bathroom and gently closing the door.

"What the hell was that, Lil Phoenix?" Mike whispered, as he sat Taylor on the closed toilet seat, frowning as Taylor shook his head and leaned on the edge of the sink.

Taylors heart raced, as he losted to Diego in the next room, talking with Jake at the doorway.  _This is stupid, why am I hiding from my best friend.._? He wondered vaguely, before his heavy heart reminded him of all the guilt he'd felt moments before.  _I just... I need to be prepared, be ready. Not, half naked and unable to even stand._  He thought sourly, grimacing as he heard Diego quizzing Jake about the wheelchair.

"Damn, guess I should've hidden it, before hidin' you..." Mike said, stepping closer to the door and opening it a slither, allowing him to peek through into the room beyond. "Any particular reason we're doin' that, by the way?"

"C'mon, Jake... Get him outta here..." Taylor muttered to himself, ignoring Mike as the ex-soldier frowned at him in concern and confusion. "I'm not ready..."

Taylor barely noticed Mike as he crossed the room, until the ex-soldier was crouched right in front of him. "Why, aren't you ready?" He asked, making sure Taylor understood him.

"They'll all think I'm weak...  _broken..."_  Taylor said, swallowing heavily as he shook his head. "I can't do that to them... I need them to see that I'm okay. That I'm still  _me."_  He said, his cheeks flaming in embarrassment as he listened to himself.

"Lucky for you, I actually understand ya." Mike sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes as he pushed to his feet and moved back to the door. "Just so we're clear, you're takin' the blame for this if Grandpa starts complainin', I can't flutter my eyelashes and get away with shit..." He said, scowling as Taylor cocked his head in confusion.

"Wha-?" He began to ask, only for Mike to slip through the door and back onto the room. He strained his ears, and just barely managed to make out Mike's voice, as he jkind the conversation.

"Hey, Grandpa, thanks for borrowin' that chair for me..." The ex-soldier said, as Jake hummed a noncommittal response, masking his surprise as best he could. "These new legs ain't so comfortable as my old military grade ones, sometimes I just gotta give in and get 'em off- oh, hi Pinky. How ya doin'?"

 _"Mike?_  What're  _you_  doing in here?" Diego's shocked voice sounded strained, as if he'd just made some astonishing discovery. " _Oh my god._.."

"What?" Jake asked suspiciously, as Taylor bit his lip and kept as quiet as he could. "Why're you lookin' at me like that?"

"I, uh... nothing." Diego said, suddenly clearing his throat awkwardly. "Er, you better come and help out with the rehearsal... Plus, you should settle Estela down though. She's still pretty mad that you never picked her up from the airport, or showed up at your place during the hours she was there, before Aleister's car arrived to pick you both up..."

"I was busy." Jake said evasively, as Taylor smiled softly, imagining a similar smile on his pilots face. "I'm kinda busy now too, so..." He said pointedly, as Diego choked and spluttered.

"It's fine, Grandpa, I can manage..." Mike said, as Taylor imagined Jake's sudden scowl. "Go on, I'm just gonna wheel around a bit with my legs off..." He added, as Taylor heard Diego splutter, and Jake protest weakly. "See ya in a couple hours, 'kay?" Mike said, before a firm click sounded and Taylor sagged in relief. "So, you actually gotta do anythin' in there, Kid, or were ya just messin' with Grandpa?" Mike called through the door, confirming both Jake and Diego had gone.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, just... Gimme a minute, please. I'll probably need your help getting back." He replied, shaking himself free of his surprise and quickly going about his bodies needs. When he was finished, he used the wall to make his way to the door, where Mike was waiting for him.

"Busted, Kid..." He snorted, as Taylor flushed and bit his lip to hide a grin. He grabbed Mike's arms when the ex-soldier offered them, steadying himself as he shuffled back into his room. "Bed, or couch?" He asked quietly, before pausing suddenly. "Or chair?" Be offered as an afterthought, as Taylor glanced around briefly.

"Uh... I suddenly understand Diego's weirdness." He said in place of an answer, laughing quietly as he noticed the rumpled bed, his discarded jumper and the plate of breakfast on the bed. "Oh... Jake's gonna be mad as hell when he gets back." He snickered, shuffling his way across the room to the couch.

"What, why?" Mike asked, looking around for himself and paling in realisation. "Aw, crap..." He groaned, scowling at Taylor as he helped him cross the room. "Well, I certainly hope your night of wild passion was worth it." He groused, shaking his head as Taylor sat on the couch and immediately yelped, shifting slightly to be more comfortable.

"Heh, more than worth it." He replied, grinning at the ex-soldier and winking at him coyly. "Of course, Jake being in a bad mood puts a dampener on my chances for a repeat performance later..." He sighed, looking around his old suite with interest. "They really did an amazing job on this place..." He murmured, his eyes falling on a pencil and a stack of small notepapers.

"Yeah, it took 'em awhile..." Mike said, sitting beside him as Taylor grabbed the pencil and a slip of paper, beginning to make a quickly scribbled list. "Not much of the old place survived after it fell. Was lucky to get ya off the roof when I did..." He said quietly, as Taylor paused for a moment, glancing up at him uncertainly.

"What... happened?" He asked hesitantly, biting his lip guiltily when Mike remained silent for a long pause, before running a hand through his hair and sighing. "I remember the pillar rising... Vaanu, was pulling at me. But, Jake had hold of me too, and it was like something in me... Just snapped. I remember looking back, seeing Jake... the fear in his eyes..." He said, trailing off to a mutter, as Mike remained noticeably silent.

Taylor lowered his gaze to his paper, shame staining his cheeks a hot red, as Mike cleared his throat loudly. "I think it was mostly over by then... We just, didn't know it." He said slowly, his gaze turning distant as he stared at the tree beside them. "There was light... everywhere. Then we were out front, on the ground. Safe, as the building crumbled." He explained, his head tilting slowly as he swallowed thickly. "Grandpa, he was out of it. Honestly, I half thought you'd taken him with you at first. I wanted to help but, touchin' him then probably woulda got me a smack in the jaw... So, I flew up to the roof instead."

Mike paused, his eyes narrowing as he relived a memory in his mind. Taylor fiddled with his pencil, biting his lip as he tried to wait patiently for the other man to continue. "I found ya." He said suddenly, staring vacantly, before blinking suddenly and turning to meet Taylors guilty gaze. "I ain't gonna lie, there's been times since then I wondered if I shoulda even gone up there at all, given how ya were. It was like you were asleep, but no matter what anyone did... We couldn't wake ya." He said, sighing as he cleared his throat and looked away again. "Roof collapsed a little after that, and I carried ya down... Don't think I've ever seen Grandpa so broken as I did that night, lookin' at what was left of ya."

Taylor looked down at his lap, his eyes hot with tears if guilt and shame as he bit his lip hard enough that he almost broke the skin. _I knew it would hit him hard, but I never considered there might be anything left for him to cling to like that... Would he have coped better, if I'd really disappeared, like I was supposed to?_

"Answers no, Kid." Mike said quietly, and Taylor looked up suddenly in surprise, his lips parting as he stared at Mike in stunned silence. "Heh, ya ain't so hard to read when its practically scrawled all over ya face. You were just wondering if he'd of got over it, if  _this..."_  He said, nudging Taylors shoulder gently. "Hadn't been left behind on that roof. Now, I know I wasn't around for that whole; endless summer thing... But I saw him comin' for you. I saw him with you, as you died in Rourke's future. I can tell ya now, in  _this_  life; if you'd disappeared entirely, he'd have given up long ago." He said, as Taylor made a sound of distressed protest in his throat, too upset by the thought to speak.

"Look, he loved ya in those other lives, I saw that..." Mike sighed, shaking his head as he nudged Taylors arm again. "But that's only a  _fraction,_  compared to how he feels  _now._  Whatever existed between you two before, its grown; its stronger. Havin' part of you here to cling to gave him hope, however much he wants to deny it... And, personally, I think that's what finally helped you find ya way back..."

Taylor sniffed, nodding faintly as he firmly pressed his lips together, determined not to give in to the urge to cry again _. It's gonna take time, for both of us... But we can't keep living in the past. We're together, now... That's all I ever wanted_. He thought, drawing in a deep breath and exhaling slowly, pushing aside all his lingering concerns for the time being, as a small smile blossomed on his face.

"That's better..." Mike said, leaning closer to peek at the scribbles Taylor had made on his slip of paper. "So, what's the chicken scratch?"

"My writing is  _not_  chicken scratch!" Taylor protested, jumping on the change of topic eagerly. "Its elegant... squiggling." He huffed, snickering as Mike laughed at him quietly. "I uh, I wanted to surprise the others and also show them what they still mean to me... And, well, this was sort of the only thing I could really think of..." He said, grimacing as he added another small note. "Of course I have no idea what's going on at this wedding, though knowing Aleister it'll be something extravagant and elegant and... well,  _boring."_  He said, chuckling as Mike hummed thoughtfully.

"I might know a way to help..." He said, as Taylor grinned and raised his brows hopefully. "Leave it with me, you just work on narrowing ya list down." He said, before rising to his feet with a groan. "But first... Another lap?" He asked, offering his arms as Taylors grin grew.

For the next two hours he shuffled about the room, barely taking any breaks, except when Mike finally forced the issue. He felt his heart flutter when he managed to take three entire steps on his own, just as Jake returned to the room, an irritated scowl on his face.  _"You,_  are supposed to be resting." He snarked, his scowl deepening as Taylor grinned innocently, and took another step unaided.

"Look, Top Gun!" He called excitedly, as Mike tactfully slipped around Jake as the pilot approached, slipping out of the room with a final wink toward Taylor. "Lookit,  _lookit!"_

"I just had to deal with your  _idiot_  of a friend." Jake fumed, as Taylor snickered, biting his lip as he took his pilots offered hands to stop himself from wobbling.

"Ah, yeah... How'd  _that_  go?" He asked knowingly, giggling as Jake simmered furiously. "Aw, c'mon, Top Gun; ya can't exactly blame him for putting two and two together and making sixty..." He laughed, gesturing towards the still rumpled sheets on their bed.

Jake drew in a deep breath and sighed, his irritation finally abating as he slowly drank in Taylors giddy smile, as he radiated pride and joy. "And, how long have you been at this, exactly?" He finally asked, as Taylor turned around and carefully shuffled two steps forward, before flailing briefly and grabbing for Jake's hands again.

"Oh, you know... Not long." Taylor said breezily, as Jake snorted and stepped closer to Taylors back, wrapping his arms around his torso and holding him close.

"You're a goddamn awful liar..." The pilot chuckled, as Taylor snickered guiltily and turned around to wrap his arms around his pilots shoulders.

"Only when I'm not trying." He said, giggling as Jake leaned forward and kissed him softly.  _"Mmm..._  I missed you too..." He mumbled, as Jake began to slowly waddle him backwards.

"I had to endure... stupid questions..." Jake muttered, his lips dragging across Taylors jaw gently. "Even worse looks... and an entire story, about how happy I'd be makin' you, by movin' on..."

"Hmm, whoever said that is obviously an idiot." Taylor snickered, burying his face in Jake's throat, as he giggled and tried to squirm away from Jake's scratchy kisses. "I'd have been furious, especially if you we're doing it with bloody  _Mike."_  He huffed, laughing when Jake nipped his ear sharply.

"Now... I think I've been pretty damn well behaved, havin' not killed, maimed or otherwise smacked anyone upside the head..." Jake hummed, as the back of Taylors legs bumped against the bed. "And, I  _seem_  to remember  _someone_  sayin'  _something..._  about the worlds best blow job..."

"Jake, no! Not  _now..!"_  Taylor complained, realising his pilots intentions too late. "I'm doing it! I'm  _mmph-"_  he hummed in protest as Jake kissed him, a deep and sensual kiss which had Taylor forgetting to breath when they parted. "Mmm... bad...  _bad_  man..." Taylor mumbled, as he grinned joyfully and tumbled back to the bed, pulling his smug pilot along with him.

"You know," he hummed contently sometime later, half sprawled across Jake's torso as they caught their breath. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this recovery business..." He said, laughing when Jake snorted beneath him.

"I think you just came back insatiably hungry for my co-" Jake replied, chuckling when Taylor shifted to sit up and swatted his shoulder in playful protest.

"Hey, you're the one who dragged me back to bed!" He reminded, as Jake threw him a cocky grin and wiggled his brows suggestively.

"Didn't exactly put up a fight, did ya?" He sniggered, winking at him as Taylor grinned and hummed in defeat, leaning on his elbow as he trailed his fingers across Jake's sweat slicked stomach.

"Hmm, seemed like I'd have been losing out if I did, really..." He admitted, before glancing down at himself with a yawn and a grimace. "However, I am definitely in need of a shower now. And so are  _you..._  seeing as you're gonna have to go eat with the others soon-"

"Screw 'em, I ain't goin' anywhere else til I damn well have to." Jake snorted, sighing as he rolled onto his side and pressed a kiss to Taylors bare shoulder. "Besides, views better up here... Better appetizers too..." He hummed, pulling back to meet Taylors amused gaze with a smirk.

"Yes, I can see you're  _so_  right;  _I'm_  the insatiable one." Taylor snickered, accepting a soft kiss, before he frowned suddenly and looked away.

"What's with the face?" Jake asked, sitting up in concern at Taylors sudden air of dejection. "You okay? You should lay down and rest... I guess, we might've overdone it, ya probably overtired-"

"No, no... I'm fine, well, maybe a little tired but nothing like before.  _Good_  tired." Taylor assured, smiling at Jake briefly before looking down at his lap again. "Am I... being selfish? I mean, originally I was just so excited to see everyone, but I don't wanna steal the thunder on Grace and Aleister's big day... I thought waiting til after would be for the best, but..." He sighed, shuffling to sit at the edge of the bed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"But..?" Jake prodded, moving to sit beside him with a frown, wrapping his arm around Taylors shoulders and pulling him close.

Taylor sighed, his hand rising to toy with their rings on Jake's dog tags as he pressed his cheek to his pilots shoulder. "But... I've been  _so_  happy, just... being with you again. I feel like I'm hiding from all my friends just to have some sort of sordid tryst..." He said, as Jake snorted and began to laugh.

"Taylor you're  _such_  an idiot, I swear, only  _you_  could think of half the stupid shit that enters your head..." His pilot chuckled, squeezing Taylors shoulder affectionately as Taylor scowled at his obvious amusement. "Taylor, you're not hiding for personal gain here; you're doin' it for  _them..._  So they know you're alright, and ya ain't weak after everything you've been through; and although it might be dumb, seein' as ya the strongest person I know, I get it. The sex is just a really... really good perk. For  _me."_

"I was about to call you sweet and charming, then you finished talking." Taylor snorted, smiling at Jake affectionately as his pilot snickered and winked at him unashamedly. "You're just lucky you're so handsome..." Taylor said, with a longsuffering sigh.

"Always knew there was a reason for my stunnin' good looks." Jake said smugly, snickering when Taylor swatted him playfully, before sobering again at Taylors continued uncertainty.

"But, don't you wanna tell them all?" Taylor asked, biting his lip as he turned towards Jake with a frown. "You must've wanted to put them right earlier at least..."

"Part of me wants to scream it from the rooftop, not that I particularly wanna go up there again, if I can avoid it." Jake said, dragging his knuckles lightly over Taylors cheek. "But the rest of me is wants nothin' more than to keep you to myself... And I ain't entirely certain, if that part of me is  _ever_  gonna go away." The pilot admitted quietly, as Taylors heart skipped a beat at the confession, watching Jake break out in a soft grin. "Seriously, Taylor... You're worryin' over nothin'. They're gonna be amazed, surprised, excited and just... so grateful, when they do finally see ya. When you're ready."

"How do you know?" Taylor asked nervously, biting his lip as his uncertain gaze met Jake's confident one.

"Because its how I feel, every single time I damn well look at ya." The pilot replied, grinning at him fondly as he leaned forward and kissed him gently.

 _"Mmm..."_  Taylor hummed, a slow smile spreading across his face as Jake nuzzled his cheek affectionately. "Smooth, Top Gun, very smooth." He murmured, twisting to capture Jake's lips again. "So... five more minutes?" He giggled, as Jake pulled him closer.

"Five more minutes..." Jake agreed, slowly lowering them back to the bed with a smirk, his intent clear as he covered Taylors body with his own; exchanging his giggles for breathy sighs and soft sounds of pleasure.

When Mike stopped by an hour and a half later, Taylor was sat on a couch, busily scribbling on his notepaper as he hummed to himself happily. "Well, no need to ask what  _you've_  been up to this afternoon." The ex-soldier snorted, as Taylor glanced up and with a brief wink. "Take it you fixed his bad mood?" Mike chuckled, as Taylor sighed happily and nodded, a secretive smile on his face as he continued his scribbles. "How ya gettin' on?" He asked, gesturing to Taylors notes as he sat beside him on the couch and tossed an arm around his shoulders.

"There's so many things I want to tell them, so many feelings I want then to understand that I associate with all of them... I can't seem to find what I really wanna say." Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair distractedly.

"You could always try sayin' hi..." Mike snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "Look, 'lil Phoenix, when the times right, you'll know what ya wanna say." He said, nudging Taylors arm fondly. "Well, I made progress at least. I-" Mike fell silent as Jake exited the bathroom to join them, grimacing as he finished buttoning his shirt cuff.

"I'm making an official rule, that you have to dress like this; at  _least,_  once a week..." Taylor hummed thoughtfully, his eyes dragging over Jake longingly. "I'm also weirdly jealous right now that they're gonna have you all night, when you look so good..." He added with a confused pout.

"I've looked everywhere for my damn tie, but I can't find the stupid thing... Think I might have left it on the Dorado." The pilot groused, scowling as he sighed and looked at Taylor pleadingly. "Can't I just skip it? Why the hell do I have to go, it's not like-"

"Stop complaining, Top Gun." Taylor snickered, holding out his hand over the back of the couch to tug Jake closer by his waistcoat. "Bring me back something nice. Like champagne, and food..." He said, grinning as Jake snorted and shook his head.

"Alcohol is the  _last_  thing I'm givin' you." The pilot scoffed, leaning forward to steal a brief kiss. "You're supposed to be recoverin'..."

"Oh, so sex is fine, but I'm not allowed to drink?" Taylor huffed, grinning at Jake's determined expression. "And you say I'm the ridiculous one-"

"No, I said you were ridiculously  _hot..._  Difference, see?" Jake chuckled, as Taylor shoved his shoulder with a snicker, before allowing him a final kiss.

"Okay, you're gonna be late, and honestly; this whole display is just... utterly, and disgustingly sweet. I'm gonna hurl, if you don't leave, and I'm aimin' for you, Grandpa." Mike said, scowling at them both in obvious irritation. Taylor laughed fondly, as Jake sighed and rolled his eyes in resignation, before finally heading out.

"Don't let him walk about too much, dammit..." He called from the doorway, turning back uncertainly. "And don't let him-"

"Grandpa, I am more than aware of how to babysit the Kid." Mike scoffed, as Taylor scowled and jabbed him roughly in the shoulder. "Go already, sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back and I won't have to listen to his wistful sighs and complaints about missing you."

"Hey, I don't do any of that!" Taylor protested, turning towards Mike with a pout of betrayal. "And I don't need a babysitter..." He added with a petulant sniff.

"I'm anticipatin'." Mike said, glancing over at him with a discreet wink that was hidden from Jake's view. "Besides, you'd get into all sorts of trouble on ya own. This way I can make sure ya resting and...  _stuff."_  He said, his eyes quickly darting towards Jake meaningfully.

"Ya know, suddenly I have a severe lack of trust concernin' the both of ya..." Jake said scathingly, as Taylor frowned at him.

"I haven't even  _done_  anything!" He protested sulkily, his scowl shifting between the two pilots. "Just go already, Top Gun. Clearly the only thing that will be going on here tonight is Darwin picking on me..."

"Ooh,  _ouch._  Surname basis, huh, Kid?" Mike snickered, as Taylor sniffed and turned his face back to his notepapers. "What, can't take a little ribbing, unless its from Grabdpa?"

"There's many things I take from Jake, none of which involve ribs, I will have you know." Taylor said hotly, pouting at Mike as Jake listened to their bickering with an amused grin.

"Okay, well, you kids have fun." The pilot snorted, winking as he exited the room. "See ya later!" He called, as he closed the door behind him and locked it.

"You're such-" Taylor began, only for Mike to hold up his finger urgently and spring from the couch, quickly crossing the room to listen at the door.

"Okay, Kid..." Mike said quietly, grabbing the wheelchair from beside the door and pushing it over to Taylor. "We ain't gonna have long while they do the trial run thing; so get in the chair, and lets go for a little ride."

"I thought you were supposed to be keeping me out of trouble..." Taylor hedged, setting his notes aside quickly, as a small grin began to spread across his face.

"Eh, sounds pretty borin' to me, but if ya really insist..." Mike began leadingly, his cocky grin never faltering as he watched Taylor knowingly. "I mean, if ya wanna give the whole mystery thing a break now, we could just do a couple laps round the room and you could rest-"

"This is a trap... Jake put you up to this, didn't he?" Taylor said suspiciously, though his grin flourished into an eager smile. "Why're you helping me break his rules?"

"Grandpa needs the excitement," Mike said dismissively, sniggering as he winked at Taylor. "Besides, its more fun helpin' you out. You do some crazy shit, 'lil Phoenix... But  _damn,_  if you ain't amusin'."

Taylor bit his lip, before wriggling into the wheelchair and peeking back over his shoulder with a raised brow. "You're gonna get me in trouble..." He said, his heart racing as Mike wheeled him to the door and unlocked it, checking the hall quickly; before hurrying Taylor from the room and rushing him to the nearest elevator.

"Luckily,  _you_  bein' the one in trouble just means you flutterin' ya eyelashes at Grandpa, as opposed to  _me,_  who'd get a smack in the face..." Mike teased, as he selected the rooftop button, causing them to rise slowly through the remaining floors.

"I will have to do far,  _far_  more than that..." Taylor snorted, biting his lip as he watched the numbers sail past the needle above them. "Especially if he finds out I've been up  _here..."_  He added, as the elevator came to a smooth stop and the doors pinged open. "Oh... Wow. You did all this?" Taylor asked, looking up at Mike curiously, who shrugged and pushed Taylors chair out onto the rooftop.

Taylor looked around the roof again, to where Mike had set up a small control panel for him. A large stereo sat at the centre of the opposite side of the roof, and Taylor felt his heart lurch, as he realized that it was also where the crystal pillar had been, the last tine he'd been on The Celestial rooftop. "Seemed fittin', ya know?" Mike saud quietly, leaning on the back of his wheelchair after applying the brakes. "That'd be the last place they really saw  _you..._  I figured it'd be a good place to come back, too." He explained, gesturing to a small table stood before the stereo, allowing Taylor something to lean upon. At the far right end, stood what appeared to be at least three screens which had hacked into the security feeds; revealing the ballroom, the restaurant and the inside of the elevator.

 _So glad we never went for elevator sex_... Taylor thought abruptly, the thought startling him from his stunned silence, eliciting a small laugh from him. "Mike... this is amazing. It's perfect." He said, looking back at the ex-soldier with an uncertain grin. "But, are you sure about it being up here? I mean, I'm pretty sure Jake alone is gonna have a hernia if he sees me up here..."

"Which is why I give all credit to you, 'lil Phoenix." Mike snorted, moving around Taylor for a moment to gesture toward the screens. "I figure we can leave a few speakers along a trail, watch 'em as they figure it out... Thought ya'd see the funny side."

"You live for this sorta mischief, don't you?" Taylor laughed quietly, shifting forward to try and stand, as Mike quickly stepped forward to offer his arms to steady himself.

"Eh, life gets borin' if ya too serious." Mike said, shrugging his shoulders as he grinned and winked at Taylor fondly. "Though I think with you around, its likely impossible that things would  _ever_  be borin'..."

"I dunno what you mean, I'm a regular boring Joe now..." Taylor snickered, shuffling closer to the screens and peering at the one which showed the restaurant, his heart skipping a beat as he looked upon his friends for the first time in a year. "Oh, wow..." He breathed, biting his lips as he was consumed by a rush of affection and love for his friends. He greedily drank in the vision of the Quinn, Michelle, Grace; even Zahra and Estela, in beautiful gowns. He then allowed himself to admire Sean, Aleister, Diego, Craig and Raj in their matching Tuxedo's.  _Even if he matched them, Jake would still stand out... To me, anyway_. He thought fondly, as his eyes found Jake on the screen, his pilot a contrast to the others, minus Varyyn; who wore ceremonial Vaanti robes. "They're all so different... but not." He commented quietly, shaking his head at Grace's longer hair, at the delicate braid in Michelle's and the way Zahra's hair had grown out; now tied up into a bun with a short fringe.

"Yeah... A lot can happen in a year, Kid." Mike said slowly, as he reached for his phone. "Now, how opposed are you, to  _really_  pissin' Grandpa off?" He asked, raising a brow at Taylor, and grinning mischievously.

"I take it this is something else you're gonna be blaming on me?" Taylor huffed, watching in curiosity as Mike nodded and dialed a number, before raising the phone to his ear with a smug grin. "Well, I guess you can never have too much make up sex..." He hummed, a slow smile blossoming on his lips as he looked back to his pilot on the screen.

An hour later, Mike had returned him safely to his suite, tired but pleased with everything the ex-soldier had set up for him. He mumbled a vague goodbye, before curling into the bed, smiling as he drifted off to sleep. He barely stirred when Jake returned, several hours later, other than to roll himself into his pilots embrace with a soft hum of contentment.

The following morning however, he was highly irritable, upon realizing he would have little time to spend with his pilot. "But why is it a whole day?" He complained, pouting as he watched Jake get dressed at the end of the bed. "I mean, usually weddings just take  _part_  of the day, right? Urgh, this is Aleister's doing, isn't it?" He groused, folding his arms over his chest petulantly.

"Hey, if ya hadn't overdone it walkin' around with Mike, ya wouldn't have been so out of it when I got back." Jake said, his amused expression darkening for a moment, before he chuckled at Taylors stubborn scowl. "Next time, do as ya told." He snorted, walking around to Taylors side of the bed and leaning down to kiss him goodbye.

"What the hell am I supposed to  _do_  all day?" Taylor groused, grabbing the hem of Jake's waistcoat and preventing him from retreating.

"Rest?" Jake quipped quickly, snickering in fond amusement as Taylor scowled at him.

"You're  _so_  not funny." He groused, pouting as Jake again tried to draw away. "I take back everything I said about you being smooth. And everything you made me babble during sex; its all inadmissible now."

"Stop bein' so dramatic." Jake sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Honestly, you spend one night with Mike and you turn into a-"

"Think carefully before you finish that sentence, Top Gun." Taylor groused, scowling as Jake sniggered in amusement.

"... very amusing person." Jake said with a cough, finally managing to extract himself from Taylors grasp. "Seriously though, get some sleep. You were all but dead to the world last night." He added, his expression clouding with concern briefly, as he swept his hair back smartly.

"I'd rather you come and tire me out later..." Taylor muttered, smirking when Jake groaned at the unsubtle invitation. "Then you could make sure I had no choice but to sleep."

"Dammit, Boy Scout, you fight dirty." Jake groaned, looking back at him on the bed longingly. He glanced at the door, before heaving a heavy sigh and falling onto the bed over Taylor, who yelped in surprise, before he began to giggle at Jake's wandering hands. "I'm a weak,  _weak_  man..." Jake huffed, his lips finding Taylors briefly. "You're a bad influence on me." He murmured, grinning as Taylor waggled his eyebrows at him.

"Just five minutes!" He giggled, as Jake laughed quietly, before he drew him into another kiss.

For the first time he could recall, five minutes remained five minutes. Taylor sighed as he watched Jake reluctantly leave their suite, biting his lip against the nervousness which bubbled within his chest, as he found himself truly alone for the first time since he'd finally found his way back.  _Mike will be here later_... He reminded himself, the ex-soldier having already given the excuse that he needed to lie down or st least rest his legs at some point during the day.  _I could sleep_... He thought, though the restless energy in his gut told him it was unlikely.

Finally, Taylor sighed and swung his legs from the bed, looking around for something to help him across the room. When his search came up empty, he shrugged his shoulders and slowly pushed to his feet regardless, bracing against the wall to balance himself. He slowly lowered his hand, and stepped forward determinedly, slowly shuffling his way towards the bathroom. He grinned as he reached the door and made his way inside, inordinately pleased with himself over his achievement as he went about cleaning himself up; acknowledging that a shower would likely be pushing his luck.

It was fueled by his sense of achievement, that he shuffled back out a short time later, heading towards the couch and his incomplete list; when his legs wobbled suddenly, and he felt his weight shift. "Aw,  _hell..."_  He cursed, as his legs buckled and he fell back on his ass, quickly sprawling onto his back with a groan. "Please... don't let Jake come back and find me like this..." He huffed tiredly, rolling onto his side with a long, low groan.

"Oh, I hate you so much right now..." He muttered, glaring at his own legs in betrayal, as he rolled himself onto his hands and knees and completed his journey at a much safer crawl.  _Damn... I was doing so well too_. He thought with a sigh, as he finally sprawled his torso across the couch.  _Still, probably better it happen now then when Jake's around. At least I can keep going once I feel up to it, rather than be confined to the bed again for the rest of the day._  He hummed in vague agreement with his thoughts, his eyes slipping closed as he drifted into a light doze, where he found himself confined to his bed for a much more pleasant reason than sleep.

"Well, I'm guessin' someone went and overdid it then." An amused, if somewhat concerned voice woke him sometime later, as Taylor noticed his legs were still dangling off the edge of the couch. "You okay, Kid?"

"Hmm, yeah..." Taylor replied, yawning as he grimaced and tried to straighten himself. "I made it to the bathroom earlier and I guess I got over confident in my abilities..." He explained, yawning as he looked up at Mike; who was in a matching Tuxedo as he'd seen the others wearing the previous evening, as the ex-soldier closed the door and walked over to crouch beside him.

"You sure?" He asked, narrowing his eyes as he checked Taylor over for signs that he'd injured himself. "First time ya left to ya own devices, and ya go and knock yaself out..." He huffed in amusement, after deciding Taylor was unhurt.

"Yeah, I wasn't exactly best pleased about it..." Taylor sighed, running a hand through his hair as he finally looked over at his notes. "I didn't even get a chance to look over my final choices."

"Well, you wanna be gettin a wiggle on." The ex-soldier huffed, raising his wrist and tapping a finger to his watch. "Ya got two hours til they're gonna be at the meal... If ya still think that's the best time to strike."

"You make it sound like I'm launching some sort of attack on them..." Taylor laughed quietly, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he yawned once again. "Urgh, I need to move... This couch is making me more tired than I actually am."

"You sure you wanna do this?" Mike asked seriously, looking him over again as he struggled to sit forward on the couch. "If ya had a setback, ya can always wait til tomorrow mornin'..."

 _"No..!"_  Taylor said quickly, grimacing as he determinedly pushed himself to the edge of the couch. "I might not have wanted to steal the thunder of their actual wedding, but dammit, I am not gonna miss their big day entirely. Invited or otherwise." He snorted, looking for something to balance himself with.

Mike chuckled at his determination, wordlessly offered his arms, helping Taylor to his feet and guiding him over to sit on the edge of his bed. "So, are ya stickin' with the hospital escapee look, or ya gonna get changed?" Mike asked, tactfully changing the subject as he glanced around the suite in feigned interest.

"I... have the option?" He asked, frowning when Mike began to laugh. The ex-soldier moved to the wardrobe, throwing the door open with a smirk as hs shook his head.

"This suite is reserved for you and Grandpa, and all of  _these..._  Came from your bag." He said, gesturing to the various garments Taylor had collected over his journey across La Huerta.

"Wow..." He huffed, shaking his head as he looked over his old clothes. "Honestly, I'm not sure whether to be touched by their tribute... Or weirded out, by their obsession." He said, frowning as he considered his friends and the strange gesture. "They were supposed to get on with their lives, not make some kinda shrine..."

"Well, ya can tell 'em all off later if ya like." Mike said, ignoring Taylors melancholy as he flicked through the few suits he'd collected. "While I think it'd be hilarious to show up in full pirate garb, I advise one of these two." He said at last, holding up the suit Jake had found him at the Elysian Lodge, and the white suit Raj had found for him at Flora's wedding party.

"Uh," Taylor balked, his gaze darting between the two uncertainly. He considered what the others were wearing, and bit his lip, as he debated briefly. "The... black. I know I'm making a big stand and all, but it'll be nice to fit in alongside them too."

"You got it, Kid." Mike said, re-hanging the white suit in the wardrobe, before moving back to Taylor and offering him the other. "You manage? Or ya need a hand?"

Taylor flushed, ignoring Mike's sniggering as he took his suit and laid it on the bed beside him. "I think I can manage. But, you can wait over there if you want..." He said begrudgingly, tipping his head towards the nearest couch.

Mike snickered at Taylors embarrassment, pointedly turning his back to sit on the couch. "So, ya lists no shorter then?" He called over his shoulder, as Taylor carefully stripped out of his physio clothes and began to dress himself.

"No, I was planning to figure it out this afternoon, but uh... My afternoon disappeared all of a sudden." He replied, tugging his trousers on first and his shirt second, his heart picking up speed as his excitement began to surge.

"You'll figure it out once ya up there." Mike assured, chuckling as he read balled up Taylors notes and began tossing them across the room towards the trashcan by the door.

"What if they're not pleased to see me?" Taylor asked suddenly, his gut clenching in a sudden fit of nerves. "What if they're pissed at me? For leaving? For hiding? For crashing the wedding..? Oh my god, what if-"

"Kid, shut up and get dressed." Mike snorted, shaking his head as Taylor bit his lip and pulled on his jacket, quickly tying his bowtie before he attempted to get his shoes on. The ex-soldier glanced back and huffed at his struggle, rising and walking over to help tie his laces. "They're gonna be chuffed... and yeah, maybe a portion pissed, but ya gotta admit; ya deserve it."

Taylor stubbornly refused to acknowledge Mike's statement, instead looking himself over as best he could, before grabbing his flower from the nightstand and tucking it safely behind his eaf again. "Okay... This is it, I guess." He finally sighed, exhaling sharply as he held out his hands to Mike, allowing the ex-soldier to help him to his feet. "I guess I better take the chair up there." He added, shuffling over to the wheelchair and flopping down dramatically, running a hand through his hair as he stifled a yawn.

Mike rolled his eyes as he pushed Taylor across the room, poking his head out the door briefly, before hurrying him down the hall and into the elevator; exiting to the roof once more. "Wow... when did you get a chance to do all this?" Taylor asked, looking around with a smile at the flowers stung up in small bunches around the rooftop, with various coloured ribbons blowing on the gentle evening breeze.

"Ah, I had a couple hours I couldn't sleep last night." Mike said, shrugging nonchalantly as he pushed Taylor over to the table at the centre of his display. He helped Taylor to his feet, sitting him on the edge of the table, as he moved the chair aside discreetly and stepped around the back to set up the stereo. Taylor looked over at the screens, his heart fluttering in his chest as he held his breath, staring at his friends as they all sat around a long table and clearly enjoyed themselves; although Jake was noticeably uncomfortable. "Okay, Kid... Sure you don't wanna just go down and say hi?" Mike asked, as Taylor turned to him with a mischievous grin.

"Where's the fun in that?" He said, snickering when Mike laughed and stepped around him, lightly brushing his fist to Taylors jaw in a gesture of fond affection, before handing him two objects.

"I knew I was gonna like you..." The ex-soldier chuckled, winking as he saluted and backed away to the elevator. "See ya at the floor show."

"Thanks for all your help, Mike..." Taylor hummed, looking down at the two objects in his hand, before raising his eyes to the screen with a deep, steadying sigh.  _How best to greet your friends after a year asleep._.? He wondered briefly, as a slow smile spread across his lips. He closed his eyes, listening to the loud thud of his heart in his chest, and when he opened them again; it was to a flood of joy, affection and nervous excitement.

He turned towards the stereo, using the remote Mike had given him to scroll through the options, until he finally found what he was after. He sucked in a deep breath, his heart skipping a beat as he turned back to the screens and watched as Mike entered the restaurant and retook his seat, watching as Jake leaned close to whisper to him briefly, before Mike waved him off dismissively.  _He's gonna kill me.._. He thought, biting his lip to contain his grin, as he considered the ache he expected to feel the following morning.  _Worth it._  He decided with a snicker, watching as Aleister stood and tapped his glass.  _Perfect..._  He thought, his eyes lighting with mirth as he flicked the remote towards the stereo and hit play, dropping it to the table he was perched on, as he raised the microphone Mike had handed him to his lips.

" _This is my heartbeat song and I'm gonna play it!"_  He sang lowly, grinning as Aleister stiffened and noticeably scowled around the restaurant. " _Been so long I forgot how to turn it up, up, up, up all night long! Oh up, up all night long!"_  He snickered, as he watched Jake's head fall into his hands, as the rest of his friends began to look around curiously.

 _"You... Where the hell did you come from_?" He sang quickly, his fingers tapping on his leg as he watched Diego almost fall over as he stumbled out of his chair, his eyes following Mike's as he pointed curiously at a small ribbon tied to the far wall. " _You're a different, different kind of fun... And I'm so used to feeling numb!_ " He sang, his heart soaring giddily as Diego and Quinn scampered toward the ribbon and tugged it from the wall, quickly following the trail it led them along to the restaurants doors.

" _Now, I've got pins and needles on my tongue... Anticipating what's to come_..." He sang, biting his lip briefly to contain a giggle as Aleister led the rest of his friends from the table; stalking after Quinn and Diego, with Grace's hand in his own, leaving Jake to glower at Mike, jabbing an accusatory finger at him. " _Like a finger on a loaded gun!"_  He giggled, watching as Jake waited for his friends to hurry out the restaurant, before leaning towards Mike threateningly, as the ex-soldier blatantly began to laugh.

 _"I can feel it rising... Temperature inside me... Haven't felt it for a lifetime_!" He sang, turning his face toward the darkening sky above him as he raised his hand to his chest, his heart swelling with a keen sense of joy.

" _This is my heartbeat song and I'm gonna play it! Been so long I forgot how to turn it... up, up, up, up all night long, Oh up, up all night long!_ " He cried, throwing his arm in the air despite there being nobody present to see his enthusiasm, as he glanced at the screen to see Jake hurtle out of his chair suddenly.

" _This is my heartbeat song and I'm gonna play it! Turned it on, but I know you can take it... up, up, up, up all night long! Oh up, up all night long_!" He sang joyfully, slipping off the table carefully as he watched the screen from the ballroom, where Quinn and Diego were frantically following the ribbon; while Aleister jabbed his finger accusingly around the room, as if yelling at someone he couldn't see.

 _"I... I wasn't even gonna go out_..." He sang lowly, grinning as he tested his weight on his feet. " _But I never would have had a doubt_..." He continued, jostling his weight lightly as he swished his hips, his excitement overwhelming him as he saw Quinn and Diego be beaten to the end of the next ribbon by Michelle and Varyyn. " _If I'd have known where I'd be now_!" He cried, moving to spin on his heel, only to lose his balance. "Aw, hell-" he swore, as he began to fall away from the table, before finding himself saved by strong arms wrapping around his torso from behind.

 _"Your hands on my hips_..." He hummed, grinning as he felt his rescuers hands slip down his sides " _And my kiss on your lips_..." He sang, leaning back as he touched his finger to his lips, before turning to press them to Jake's. " _Oh, I could do this for a lifetime_!" He sang gleefully, winking coyly as Jake snorted and shook his head.

" _This is my heartbeat song and I'm gonna play it! Been so long I forgot how to turn it... up, up, up, up all night long! Oh, up, up all night long!"_  Taylor sang softly, humming contently as Jake pulled him into a tight embrace.

" _This is my heartbeat song and I'm gonna play it! Turned it on, but I know you can take it... up, up, up, up all night long! Oh up, up all night long!"_  He continued, swaying lightly as Jake shivered and tightened his hold on him.

" _Until tonight I only dreamed about you... I can't believe I ever breathed without you!"_  Taylor murmured quietly, nuzzling Jake's jaw affectionately. " _Oh ya know, you make me feel alive and brand new-_ " he was cut off as he drew back, the deep breath he'd taken in preparation seeming to evaporate; as Jake claimed his lips in an urgent kiss, stealing his breath and his remaining verses.

Taylor curled his arms around Jake's shoulders, and forgetting about everything but the feel of his pilot against him, a content smile on his lips as Jake eagerly devoured them with his demanding kisses. "You're supposed to be restin'..." Jake finally muttered roughly, drawing back to frown at him in resignation. "Couldn't ya at least have been causing trouble somewhere else? Like,  _anywhere_  else?"

"You know me, Top Gun, never one to pass up an opportunity to- oh my god! You spoilt my song!  _Jaaaaake!"_  Taylor whined, swatting his shoulder as he pouted at his pilot accusingly. "I was supposed to be looking all cool, and awesome and singing heartwarming stuff... Now I'm all kiss swollen and..."

"And..?" Jake prodded, as Taylors cheeks flared with heat, and he bit his lip in sudden show of shyness.

"I forgot, I was too busy remembering that kiss..." He said lightly, his fingers toying with Jake's hair behind his neck.

Jake narrowed his eyes, knocking their foreheads together as he leaned closer. "Don't be thinkin' I'll fall for that, you ain't forgiven that easy."

"Really? Damn, well, uh... What might it take to earn forgiveness this time exactly?" Taylor asked, his grin returning as Jake smirked and waved his eyebrows briefly, before stealing another kiss. "Hmmm... I see," Taylor hummed thickly, when Jake released him enough to speak again. "So that's what it'll take... Lucky for you I think I can manage that." He snickered, winking as Jake rolled his eyes at him.

"Hey, how'd you find me so quick anyway?" Taylor asked suddenly, pouting again as he gestured over his shoulder to the screens Mike had set up for him. "The others all had to play chase the ribbon..."

"I told him if he didn't tell me, I'd just beat it outta him." Jake said, sighing as he shook his head in exasperation. "Though to be honest it weren't hard. Just had to think of the last place I'd ever want ya to be..."

"Just to be clear, this was  _not_  my idea." Taylor said quickly, gesturing around the rooftop. "This was all Mike, I'm just an innocent partaker here..."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Jake snorted, grinning as he winked at Taylor. "Still gonna be your ass I make pay for it." He drawled, as Taylor bit his lip to hide a grin.

"Hmm, well I guess I'll just look forward to that then..." He snickered, as he drew his pilot closer. His lips caressed Jake's softly, his heart thudding rapidly in his chest as he hummed contently.

"Holy sh-"

"Oh my god-"

"What the devil are you all staring at? You're blocking the exit, you buffoons, now get-"

Taylor pulled away from Jake suddenly, blinking at the voices which erupted from the elevator, only to fall silent upon seeing him in Jake's embrace. He gazed around the shocked faces of his friends, his smile slowly returning as his heart swelled with affection and love. "So, I heard someone joined the newly hitched club?" He asked, feigning a scowl as he heaved a long suffering sigh. "I noticed that I was not invited, so I thought I'd just crash the after party..." He said, winking at them conspiratorially.

"Heh, I'd say you went and broke 'em 'lil Phoenix..." Mike snorted, pushing through from the back of the group to ruffle Taylors hair fondly, ignoring Jake's irritated scowl.

"You were supposed to keep him out of trouble, not bring him up here..." The pilot accused, as Mike huffed and rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest.

"Seemed fittin' to me." The ex-soldier groused, as Taylor bit his lip and waved at his friends, his excitement turning to nervous jitters in his stomach at their continued shock. "Last place you were all together was here, this is where ya lost him. Only makes sense to have found him here too."

"...  _Taylor?"_  Diego hedged, blinking as Mike's words seemed to break through his silent shock. "You're..."

 _"Chyeahhh,_  bro!" Craig boomed, making everyone jump as he cleared a path through the others and stalked across the roof, picking Taylor up despite Jake's protests and Taylors yelp of surprise. "Ha! I knew you'd be back, bro!"

"While I appreciate you're faith in me, I'd appreciate it even more if you put me down and let me breath!" Taylor laughed, as Craig drew him into a bone crushing hug, before setting him back on the ground, allowing Jake to catch and steady him.

" _Oh my_   _god, Taylor!"_  Quinn squealed, dashing forward and throwing her arms around his neck; as Taylor choked and laughed, barely kept on his feet by Jake's supportive hold, as hw wrapped his arms around the redhead in return. "Oh my-! How,  _when?!_  Oh, Taylor! I'm so happy to see you! I mean, you know, awake!" Quinn giggled, crying and laughing as one, as she hugged him tightly.

"And suddenly so much more appreciative of how  _you_  felt after waking up in Elyys'tel..." Taylor chuckled, gripping her back just as tightly as he swallowed thickly. "There aren't words for how surreal it all felt at first-"

"Oh my god..." Diego choked, his cheeks flaming as he cut Taylor off and scowled at him accusingly. "It was  _you! He_  came out..." He gasped, pointing over at Mike, before narrowing his eyes at Taylor again. "But it was  _you!_  You were-"

"Not ready." Taylor said, releasing Quinn as he bit his lip and tried to shuffle over to his friend, wobbling considerably after having been on his feet so long. "I'm sorry... I just, I didn't really want your first impression of me to be as some weakling who couldn't even stand." He explained, looking around his friends varying expressions slowly. "I didn't want you to think that what I did, made me any less... me. I wanted you to know I was okay. That I was really,  _truly_  okay... and you all have no reason to worry, or feel guilty, or anything else... because, I'm here to stay."

"Taylor, I don't care what state you're in..." Diego said, his eyes watering as Varyyn stepped up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder supportively. "I just wanted my best friend back!"

Taylor bit his lip, looking at the floor guiltily for a moment, before looking back at Diego shyly. "I'm here  _now..._  assbutt." He offered weakly, as Diego sniffed, before moving forward and embracing Taylor tightly.

"I missed you, dude..." He said thickly, as Taylor swallowed heavily, drawing in a deep but unsteady breath as he clung to his best friend tightly.

"I missed you too, buddy..." He mumbled, pulling free a few moments later to turn his watery gaze upon the others. "I missed you all..."

"But me most, obviously." Jake added, grinning smugly as the rest of their friends laughed, the tension around them all greatly reduced. "But seriously, Boy Scout, if you don't sit the hell down; I'm gonna carry ya troublesome ass back to bed." He added, his expression morphing to a scowl as he ran his eyes over Taylor worriedly.

"When did you actually wake up, and what did they say, when they discharged you?" Michelle asked curiously, moving forward to begin checking him over, as Taylor grinned back at Jake and snickered.

"Discharge? Heh, I don't remember anything like that happening... Was that before or after the 'halt, you cant do that!' stuff, Top Gun?" Taylor asked, laughing when Jake grimaced, before he caught sight of Michelle's furious expression.

"You stole him from his room?!" She demanded, as Zahra beamed a proud grin at Taylor , his eyes drawn to her dress as he realised it was littered with numerous tiny skull and crossbones.

"Rad." She said, bumping her fist to Taylors as his heart lit with joy, ignoring Michelle's bickering with Jake, as he looked up at Raj.

"Taylor, man, I've missed you little doodlejump..." The large man sighed, carefully folding him into a surprisingly gentle hug, unaware of Michelle's irritation as she tried to check Taylor over.

"Heh, I missed you too, Raj." He said, ducking his head as he wobbled on his legs, half turning towards his pilot. "Jake, I think you're right, I should probably sit down now..." He admitted, biting his lip as Michelle scoffed at him.

"Taylor, there's such a long list of things you should have right now... like the  _medical staff_  you need to take care of yo-" the blonde sneered, as Taylor grinned and winked at her.

"Aw, c'mon Michelle..." He said, snickering as she scowled at him."You know you're the only medical genius I need in my life..." He added slyly, winking again when she sighed heavily.

"... Suddenly I feel as if the past year were just a strangely quiet dream." The blonde finally huffed, as Jake carefully sat him into the wheelchair which Mike rolled over for him. He reached up to draw her into a brief hug, and was surprised when her shoulders hitched. "Oh, Taylor... It really is good to see you."

"Likewise, Atomic..." He said, smiling as she drew back to beam a joyful grin at him. His gaze rose to Sean, as the athletes arm draped around the blondes shoulders. "Howdy Sean," he said, grinning at his friend fondly.

"Good to see you Taylor," Sean said, beaming down at him proudly. "Glad you managed to find your way back to us." He added, clapping him on the shoulder warmly, as Taylors heart rippled with joy.

"Me too." He huffed, beaming up at the athlete in amusement, before biting his lip and peeking at Aleister. "Sorry I crashed your big day, but-"

"As asinine as you're interruption was, Taylor..." The pale man sneered, before his expression softened into a warm smile. "I'm pleased you did. It is good to see you again." He said quietly, offering his hand as Taylor beamed, quickly gripping it tightly in both of his own.

"Grace..." Taylor said, his eyes turning to the dark skinned girl, who was resplendent in her diamanté studded gown. "You look absolutely stunning... I'm sorry if I'm stealing your moment-"

"Oh, you!" Grace giggled, moving forward to carefully sit in Taylors lap, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders. "The day just wouldn't have been the same without you! I'm so pleased you're here..." She said, burying her face in his shoulder briefly, as he hugged her loosely, mindful of her dress.

After a brief pause, Aleister gently helped Grace back to her feet, and Taylors eyes found Estela, hiding at the back of the group. "I can't believe I actually got to see you in a dress again." He said, grinning broadly as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

"It's a wedding." She said flatly, shifting in discomfort. "I was told I had to." She muttered quietly, averting her eyes briefly, before looking back at Taylor affectionately. "... It's good to see you, idiot." She said, a smile finally gracing her lips, as Taylor huffed a relieved sigh.

"I gotta say guys, I... have never been happier, than I am right now." He said thickly, his hand rising to when Jake squeezed his shoulder gently. "I know... it can't have been the easiest of years, for all of you, but I'm so proud of you all..." He said, sniffing as he beamed a giant grin around them all fondly. "You've all come so far, and I..." he huffed, his throat constricting from the affection and love he felt for his friends.

Jake stepped forward, wrapping his arm around Taylors shoulders as he crouched beside him. "C'mon, Boy Scout... Don't overdo it." He said gently, his fingers sweeping over Taylors cheeks as heavy tears rolled from his eyes.

"Considering he's been alone with  _you_  for over twenty four hours, I highly suspect that ship has already sailed..." Michelle said waspishly, eyeing Jake knowingly, as he pointedly ignored her.

"I'm sorry, I just..." Taylor hummed, clearing his throat as his heart throbbed with joy. "I'm so happy to see you all again..." He sniffed, his eyes raising to meet his pilots gaze, as he tipped his head to Taylors in a gesture of comfort.

"Feelings mutual, Boy Scout." He huffed, grinning as the group converged around them and began to talk over each other in their eagerness to find out what had happened.

Taylor looked around his friends affectionately, laughing as they retold highlights of their year and filled him in on everything he'd missed, taking turns to sit with him between dancing, drinking, singing and celebrating. Finally, he found himself alone with Diego, and he struggled to escape his chair and shuffle to the other side of the roof with his friend, leaning on the railing as they stated out at the stars together.

"Taylor..?" Diego asked hesitantly, after a long moments pause. Taylor looked over with a raised brow, a small grin on his lips as he waited patiently. "... what happened? Don't get me wrong, having you back is the best thing ever... But, what if Vaanu comes back?"

"Trust me, it won't." Taylor assured, smiling as he looked back at the stars. "Even if it did, there'd be little it could do to me now, anyway."

"So, what now?" Diego asked, watching Taylor curiously, as he smiled up at the stars and sighed contently. "What happens next? Are you sticking around-?"

"I don't know, why the hell are you asking me?" Taylor snorted, laughing when Diego flushed guiltily. "Dude, I'm not some sort of omnipotent being here, I don't know the future." He sniggered, as Diego grumbled to himself.

"Honestly, I've got something I have to do... before making any real plans for the future." Taylor said, his grin growing as he peeked over his shoulder to see Mike on the phone, their eyes meeting briefly in shared amusement, before the ex-soldier moved away to find Jake. "I don't exactly have much of a background, so most 'real world' stuff is gonna be... awkward for me, at best. But, Jake and I will figure it out... Together." He said, turning back to Diego with a bright smile.

"Heh, dude I'm not gonna lie, I'm really glad you woke up." Diego huffed, nudging his shoulder against Taylors playfully. "Life just wasn't the same without my faithful sidekick."

"Hey,  _hey!"_  Taylor protested with a laugh, nudging Diego back. "Just who's, whose sidekick here?!" He laughed, as Diego snickered along with him, about to respond when a loud cry rang out over the party.

 _"Taylor!"_  Jake roared, his expression stormy as he shoved his way over to Taylor, neither of them noticing as Diego tactfully slid away. "What the  _hell_  did you say to my sister?!" He demanded, scowling at Taylor as he waved Mike's phone before him accusingly.

"Well..." Taylor hummed, his smile growing as he wrapped his arms around Jake's shoulders and leaned back and pulling his pilot closer, so that Jake caged him against the railing. "I started with 'hello'..." He snickered, as Jake's furious expression slowly began to fade, replaced by an exasperated amusement. "And then I went on to some... entirely forgettable stuff-"

"You said we'd go see them!" Jake said hotly, his hands settling on Taylors hips as he hummed and nodded.

"Ah, yeah...  _That_  was it." He giggled, smirking as Jake groaned and hung his head, leaning his forehead against Taylors shoulder. "But hey, least now they aren't mad at you anymore." He hummed, leaning forward to nuzzle Jake's brow fondly.

"Worse, they wanna throw us an anniversary party!" Jake complained, sighing as he drew back to pout at Taylor. "They're invitin' everyone! I'm  _never_  gonna get ya alone!"

"Jake..." Taylor laughed, his heart fluttering at his pilots distraught expression. "I'm _yours..._ now and forever." He reminded him, as Jake's eyes darted briefly to the flower behind Taylors ear. "We've got all the time in the world to be alone together... It's time for you to go home, first." He said, as Jake met his gaze, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"... You're somethin' else, Boy Scout." He said fondly, as he closed the distance between them and claimed Taylors lips in an affectionate kiss.

Taylor hummed, reciprocating in unhurried adoration, as his heart sang with undiluted joy. Surrounded by his friends, and together with his pilot; he finally had everything he'd ever come to wish for, and this time, he knew nothing would take it away from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... i hope this is a fittong ending. I had to finally do it, lest it just keep dragging forever.
> 
> Im kinda heartbroken its over tbh, but also... so damn proud that it is and i made it. Ive never had such a big project before and to have written this lot is... nothing short of awe inspiring to me. More so though... because od you; all of you, who have read, commented and inspired me to keep going. Thankyou, SO much.
> 
>  
> 
> Now, with this project finished - comes the opportunity for a new one! I have a lot of ideas, and i decided i wanna do them all so; im gonna list their titles and if you like the sound of one in particular then give it a mention and i will see whats most popular (i was gonna give short bios too but i dont wanna give too much away)
> 
> So, theres;
> 
> Primal  
> Enjoy The Silence  
> Knockout  
> Your Outlawed Heart  
> So Far Away  
> Love Story  
> Andromeda Rising (which i admit is kinda a fave idea)  
> Waiting  
> Carousel (which Im not gonna lie is probably gonna be crack)  
> The Lost Omega  
> Hungry Like The Wolf  
> The Captive Heart
> 
> And... theres others but rheyre untitled so... i dunno what to say about then without givin it away XD
> 
> Anyway - thats probably enough blabbing from me!
> 
> I want to thank every single one of you again, from the bottom of my heart. Your support has been phenomenal. I cant express my love for you all.  
> Thankyou so much.
> 
> I hope to see you all again soon, in another adventure
> 
> x My love to you all x


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